Vernita Gray, of Illinois' First Legally Married Couple Passes Away

LGBT activisit Vernita Gray and her wife, Pat Ewart. Gray passed away last week after succumbing to breast cancer.
LGBT activisit Vernita Gray and her wife, Pat Ewart. Gray passed away last week after succumbing to breast cancer.

Vernita Gray, one half of Illinois’ first legally married lesbian couple, passed away last Tuesday after succumbing to breast cancer. Gray, 65, married her wife, Pat Ewart, on November 27 last year, after a federal judge made a ruling in respect to Gray’s terminal illness that allowed Gray and Ewart to marry before Illinois’ Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act took effect on June 1, 2014.

Gray was an activist for LGBT rights and a regular presence at the annual Chicago Pride Parade every year since 1970. Gray helped start the city's first gay and lesbian helpline from her apartment, and sheltered teens in her home who were kicked out by their families because they were gay, lesbian or transgender.

Gray was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, fighting the disease until it took a turn for the worse two years ago.

She and Ewart were engaged in 2009, but fearing she would not live to see June 1, the couple filed a lawsuit to marry early. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Durkin granted their request, and their marriage license was hand-delivered by officials from the Cook County Clerk's office.

"I’m so excited for us and for the community, for today is a beginning," she said on her wedding day. "One so richly deserved.”

Gray passed away last Tuesday night, just before midnight, with Ewart at her side.

In light of her passing, Illinois elected officials offered their condolences to Ewart and praised the life that Gray lived.

“Vernita Gray was a passionate and driven advocate for equality in Illinois,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. “She recognized that no one should have to wait for equal rights when it comes to love. She fought for what she believed in and made a difference for people across Illinois. While Vernita was with us she helped spread love and strength and we are all blessed to have known and learned from her. I join the people of Illinois in offering thoughts and prayers to her wife Pat Ewert and their family. Vernita Gray will continue to inspire all those she touched during her time here on earth and we are forever grateful.”

"Today we mourn the passing of a fearless woman who spent her life fighting for equality and civil rights,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Vernita Gray was an inspiration to all who crossed her path, from President Obama who knew her by name to the victims of violence she comforted and the young people for whom she was a fierce advocate. Her legacy can be felt in the many institutions she supported and by every LGBT couple in Illinois who is now free to marry the person they love. My thoughts and prayers are with her wife Pat Ewert, her family, and the community of friends who loved her so dearly."

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