CHICAGO — Republican legislators in Illinois are calling for the resignation of Pat Brady, chairman of the state Republican Party, after his public support of a failed bill to legalize same-sex “marriage.”

“Pat Brady is a total disgrace,” said Bobbie Peterson, a Republican state central committeewoman from Beecher, Ill., according to Chicago public radio station WBEZ.

“[W]hat’s coming out of his mouth is not what the Illinois Republican Party is about.”

The controversy began earlier this month, when a bill was introduced during the lame-duck period of the Illinois Congress to legalize same-sex “marriage” before the Jan. 9 end of the legislative session. 

While the bill passed a Senate committee, it lacked both Republican and Democratic support to pass the full state Senate. As the session came to a close, the legislation stalled and was not brought to the floor for a vote. 

Brady, however, voiced public support of the proposal to redefine marriage. Specifying that he was expressing his personal beliefs rather than the stance of the party, he also lobbied other Republicans to vote for the bill.

These public actions contradict the party platform plank on marriage, which seeks to protect the traditional family and maintain marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

WBEZ reported the responses from Illinois party officials, who voiced strong opposition to Brady’s actions.

“I was shocked,” said state Sen. Jim Oberweis, a GOP committeeman who has asked Brady to resign. “Very surprised. Did not expect that and didn’t know why he would have done that.”

“I can only express my disappointment in the way this has come about and the manner in which the Republican platform of Illinois has been completely disregarded,” stated committeeman Gene Dawson in an email requesting Brady’s resignation.

Opponents of the push for same-sex “marriage” have voiced concerns over the implications that such a law would have on religious liberty.

In 2010, the Illinois Legislature passed a civil-unions bill, giving the rights of civil marriage to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples who contract a union. This change resulted in the end of foster care and adoption-placement service contracts with Catholic Charities throughout the state, because these agencies would not place children with unmarried or homosexual couples

The recent homosexual “marriage” bill, which was opposed by the Catholic bishops of Illinois, is being reintroduced in the new legislative session. In addition, 25 homosexual couples have filed a legal challenge to state law for failing to recognize same-sex unions as marriage.

It remains to be seen whether there will be enough votes to remove Brady as GOP chairman. Several of those who are not calling on him to resign are still upset about his public contradiction of the party platform.

State Sen. Dave Syverson, who has not gone as far as asking Brady to step down, voiced concern over the chairman’s actions: “His role as chairman should be to concentrate on uniting the party and not dividing the party.”