Constitutional Law

Religious Groups Rally Against Hawaii Civil Unions Measure

Thousands descended on Hawaii’s Capitol grounds yesterday to protest the legislature’s consideration of a bill that would provide equal rights to gay couples who enter into civil unions. The protestors, The Honolulu Advertiser reported, represented religious organizations, from local churches, temples, synagogues and mosques. The Associated Press reported that religious groups “have been buying newspaper advertisements, setting up Web sites and holding rallies urging lawmakers” to scuttle the bill. The measure, HB 444, has already been approved by the Hawaii House and is scheduled for a senate committee vote tomorrow. If the measure were to die in the committee, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, said she would consider yanking it from the committee to bring to the floor for a full vote, the newspaper reported. The civil unions bill is intended to provide many of the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples who marry in Hawaii to same-sex couples.

Religious leaders helped rally the protestors yesterday, some of whom hoisted signs reading, “No Civil Union,” and “Turn to Jesus or Burn in Hell.” Judy Franklin, with the Ministry of Brother Nathan, told the Advertiser that if the bill were enacted it would open “the door for innocent children in foster care to be taken into homosexual families – that’s one of my chief concerns.” A socially conservative religious lobbying group, the Hawaii Family Forum, is also helping to kill the equal rights bill. The group is an affiliate of James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.

Some supporters of civil unions were also at the capitol. John Zeuzhim carried a pro-civil unions sign, and told a reporter with the Advertiser that “we aren’t asking for special rights, just equal rights.” The ACLU of Hawaii has launched an effort in support of the civil unions bill. The newspaper noted that in 1998 a majority of Hawaiians approved a constitutional amendment that prohibited gays to marry, but it did not bar government recognition of civil unions.

Late last year, Connecticut became the second state to provide marriage rights for lesbians and gay men.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on February 23, 2009 (boomark / email).