In 1999, Deputy Attorney General Dorothy Sellers stated that “the issue of same-sex marriage is over in Hawaii.” Apparently, it’s not.
This week, lawmakers in Hawaii approved a bill that grants same-sex couples in a civil union the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples. While it’s not clear if Gov. Linda Lingle (R) will sign the bill into law by July, gay rights organization Equality Hawaii is applauding the vote as “historic.”
In opposition to the bill are Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and various religious leaders across the state, calling for its veto because its content involves “marriage in disguise.” But other religious leaders, such as Buddhist Bishop Thomas Okano, support the bill, emphasizing “the importance of equality among all beings.”
Of course, regardless of what the legislature is doing or not doing, there are still plenty of opportunities to have a same-sex wedding on the idyllic beaches of Hawaii—because even if the state hasn’t figured out its stance on gay marriage, the local wedding industry isn’t discriminating at all.
This week, lawmakers in Hawaii approved a bill that grants same-sex couples in a civil union the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples. While it’s not clear if Gov. Linda Lingle (R) will sign the bill into law by July, gay rights organization Equality Hawaii is applauding the vote as “historic.”
In opposition to the bill are Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and various religious leaders across the state, calling for its veto because its content involves “marriage in disguise.” But other religious leaders, such as Buddhist Bishop Thomas Okano, support the bill, emphasizing “the importance of equality among all beings.”
Of course, regardless of what the legislature is doing or not doing, there are still plenty of opportunities to have a same-sex wedding on the idyllic beaches of Hawaii—because even if the state hasn’t figured out its stance on gay marriage, the local wedding industry isn’t discriminating at all.
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