The Republican Governor of Illinois has angered parts of his voter base by officiating a gay couple’s wedding.
Bruce Rauner, who was previously elected Governor of Illinois in 2014, has previously criticised equal marriage in the state and attacked Democrats for pushing the law through without a public referendum.
But the Governor appears to have softened his stance in recent years
It emerged this week that Rauner officiated a same-sex wedding for two of his friends.
The Governor oversaw the wedding of gay Republicans Mark Cozzi and James Goeke on June 30. His wife, First Lady Diana Rauner was also in attendance.
Cozzi, who appointed to the State Universities Retirement System Board of Trustees by Rauner last year, confirmed the news to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The former Equality Illinois activist also posted a photo of the wedding on Instagram, adding: “We are hitched!”
The Illinois Family Institute, a powerful Republican-backing group that is opposed to LGBT rights, hit out at the Governor’s decision.
The group’s executive director David E. Smith fumed to the Illinois Review: “It’s clear that the governor has learned nothing from his near-loss in the Republican primary this year.
“He’s not interested in attracting social conservatives to get out and vote Republican this fall.”
On Twitter, he added: “Keep poking social conservatives in the eye Gov… you are doing a yeoman’s job of alienating the GOP base.”
The post Republican Governor Bruce Rauner faces anger for officiating gay wedding appeared first on PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service.
