GAY TRUTH

Hawaii (Photo credit: tico_manudo ) Hawaii overtook Illinois yesterday as the latest American state to legalize homosexual marriage (raising the total to nearly 1 in 3 states). But more unexpectedly, given that Hawaii was one of the first states where the issue surfaced, a Hawaii state representative has caused waves for becoming the first openly gay lawmaker to vote against a state's same-sex marriage bill. Jo Jordan voted against SB1 because she said its exemptions were "too narrow," especially regarding religious freedom. "It wasn't protective enough for everybody," Jordan told Honolulu Magazine , later noting, "I'm not here to protect the big churches or the little churches, I'm saying we can't erode what's currently out there. We don't want to scratch at the religious protections at all, because if we don't create a measure that's bulletproof, or as close to bulletproof as possible, then the measure will go t...

HONOLULU , – Although teeming crowds of thousands, perhaps the largest in the history of state politics, opposed it, the Hawaiian legislature passed a bill redefining marriage. In a signing ceremony today, Governor Neil Abercrombie said the bill furthered “fairness, justice, and human equality” in the state. "Today, we celebrate our diversity defining us rather than dividing us," he said, after calling a special session of the legislature to pass the bill. An estimated 10,000 people from the various islands that compose the state attended a marriage preservation rally at the capital of Oahu on Monday, October 28. Another 24,000-plus written comments were sent in on the topic. Some 5,184 citizens signed up for the opportunity to testify before the state Senate 's public hearing for two minutes each, later reduced to one minute. A total of 1,800 showed up, but only 425 were allowed to testify before State Senator Clayton Hee cut the meeting off. Those who ...

HONOLULU , ) – Although teeming crowds of thousands, perhaps the largest in the history of state politics, opposed it, the Hawaiian legislature passed a bill redefining marriage. In a signing ceremony today, Governor Neil Abercrombie said the bill furthered “fairness, justice, and human equality” in the state. "Today, we celebrate our diversity defining us rather than dividing us," he said, after calling a special session of the legislature to pass the bill. An estimated 10,000 people from the various islands that compose the state attended a marriage preservation rally at the capital of Oahu on Monday, October 28. Another 24,000-plus written comments were sent in on the topic. Some 5,184 citizens signed up for the opportunity to testify before the state Senate 's public hearing for two minutes each, later reduced to one minute. A total of 1,800 showed up, but only 425 were allowed to testify before State Senator Clayton Hee cut the meeting off. Those who...

Hawaii polynesian cultural centre (Photo credit: Danielle Bauer ) HONOLULU, August 9, 2012 — A federal court Wednesday upheld Hawaii ’s definition of marriage as one man and one woman, rejecting a lawsuit to tear down both the definition as well as Hawaii’s constitutional amendment giving the legislature the power to maintain it. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys defended the law and the amendment on behalf of Hawaii Family Forum, which the court allowed to intervene in the case in April. “This ruling affirms that protecting and strengthening marriage as the union of one man and one woman is legitimate, reasonable, and good for society,” said Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt. “The people of Hawaii adopted a constitutional amendment to uphold marriage, and the court rightly concluded that the democratic process shouldn’t be short-circuited by judicial decree.” The three individuals who filed the suit asked the court to declare the state’s constitutional amendment on...