Speaking out for equal rights, Jesse Tyler Ferguson attended the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act press conference at James R. Thompson Center in Chicago on Wednesday (January 2).

The "Modern Family" star wore a tan shirt, plaid bowtie, and dark cardigan as he voiced support for a bill that would legalize same sex marriage in Illinois.

In his address, the 37-year-old actor said, "I certainly respect everyone's right to their own opinion, but I think at the end of the day we have to all agree that treating any American as a second class citizen is just not okay."

Making the rounds to get the word out, earlier on Wednesday he tweeted, "Excited 2 appear on @WindyCityLIVE today to talk about @TieTheKnotOrg & #ILequality. I'll also b discussing the 12 degree weather in Chicago."

Check out the video including Jesse at the event below.