A coalition of civil rights groups has begun a volunteer effort to stop the anti-gay ballot initiative put forth by Project Marriage Illinois, a spinoff of the Illinois Family Institute, by scrutinizing the petitions for invalid signatures. The advisory referendum would ask voters to ask the legislature to ban all same-sex legal unions, including civil unions and domestic partner benefits. It would be non-binding and might or might not pass, but just having it on the ballot would allow the right to stir up a major anti-gay campaign; the Gay Liberation Network notes that anti-LGBT violence in Colorado increased 129% in the year following the Amendment 2 campaign there. To volunteer, email fairillinois AT yahoo DOT com or call 773-477-7173. (Thanks, Tony.)