g********d
发帖数: 4174 | 1 Posted on Advocate.com February 16, 2011
Hawaii Senate Passes Civil Unions
By Advocate.com Editors
The Hawaii senate passed the final version of a civil unions bill by an 18-5
vote Wednesday afternoon.
The bill will now go to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who has expressed his support
for it.
"Today is a momentous day," said Sen. Clayton Hee, according to the Honolulu
Star-Advertiser. "There is no denying that by this action Hawaii takes a
significant step towards true equality."
Equality Hawaii and the Human Rights Campaign issued a joint statement about
the bill's passage Wednesday.
"We honor and thank the legislature today for their commitment to equality
for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Hawaii," Alan
Spector, cochair of Equality Hawaii, said in the statement. “For the second
time in less than a year, legislators have dedicated themselves to
providing dignity and respect to all families in the Aloha State."
A similar bill was approved by the legislature in 2010 but vetoed by then-
Gov. Linda Lingle after a long waiting period. | g********d
发帖数: 4174 | 2 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/hawaii-samesex-civil-
Hawaii lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for same-
sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an "emotional
process" for a longtime battleground in the gay rights movement.
Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie's office said he intends to sign the bill
into law within 10 business days. Civil unions would begin Jan. 1, 2012,
making the state the seventh in the nation to grant essentially the same
rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.
"I'm overjoyed. I'm so relieved. I'm so happy," said Kristin Bacon of
Honolulu, who intends to get a civil union with her partner of 15 years. "We
're really representing aloha and the aloha spirit with this vote. I'm
thrilled."
Bacon was among a crowd of supporters wearing rainbow-colored lei and
stickers saying "Equality" as they cheered, hugged and cried for joy after
the Senate's 18-5 vote. The House passed the bill last week.
Gay rights advocates praised the vote as a victory for equal rights in a
state known for its diversity and tolerance.
Opponents of the measure, many of them Christians, said civil unions erode
the concept of the traditional family and could lead to same-sex marriage.
"I feel very grieved for all of us. Now we'll need God even more in our
islands," said Stephanie Kon of Honolulu.
Rather than leave the decision to elected lawmakers, she wanted the state to
vote on the issue as it did 13 years ago when voters overwhelmingly passed
the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment.
The amendment, approved by 69 percent of voters, was a response to a 1993
state Supreme Court decision that nearly legalized gay marriage.
Story continues below
Advertisement
The ruling would have made Hawaii the first state to allow same-sex couples
to wed, but it didn't take effect while voters were given a chance to decide.
The "defense of marriage" amendment gave the Legislature the power to
reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples, and resulted in a law banning gay
marriage in Hawaii but also left the door open for civil unions.
Since then, 29 other states also have enacted defense of marriage amendments.
Five more states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage.
"I have always believed that civil unions respect our diversity, protect
people's privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha,"
Abercrombie said in a statement released minutes after Wednesday's vote. "
For me, this bill represents equal rights for all the people of Hawai'i."
The anxiously awaited civil unions vote came immediately after the Senate
confirmed the state's first openly gay Supreme Court justice, Sabrina
McKenna.
The Hawaii Legislature also passed a similar civil unions bill last year,
but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican. She was term-
limited from running for election again in November.
The final vote came after years of thousands-strong rallies, election
battles and passionate public testimony on an issue that has divided the
Rainbow State for nearly 20 years.
"It's been a long time coming. To see it come to fruition is a big day,"
said David Robins of Honolulu, who also wants full marriage rights for gay
couples. "This is the right first step."
___ | g********d
发帖数: 4174 | | k*****e
发帖数: 22013 | 4 迟到的CU，等了好久
【在 g********d 的大作中提到】
| m******8
发帖数: 2153 | 5 当地时间2月16日，美国夏威夷州的议会投票通过了承认同性民事结合关系的法案，州
长已表示将签署这一法案。
州参议院在星期三以18 票赞成、5票反对的结果通过了民事结合关系法案。在几天
前，同一法案已在州众议院获得投票通过。议会投票结束后，现任州长、民主党的亚伯
克罗姆比（Neil Abercrombie）很快发表声明，认为法案体现了所有夏威夷人的平等权
利，并表示他将在10天内签署这一法案。
法案获得州长签署后，夏威夷的同性恋伴侣将可从2012年1月1日起登记民事结合关
系，并在本州范围内享有与异性婚姻配偶几乎同样的法律权利。夏威夷的议会也曾在去
年通过承认同性民事结合的法案，但当时的共和党籍州长琳达-林格对法案行使了否决
权。
夏威夷州的选民曾在1998年的公投中通过了美国各州的第一个禁止同性婚姻的修宪
案，自那以后，其它的29个州也先后以公投等方式将婚姻关系限定在一对男、女之间。
目前在美国，马塞诸塞等五个州以及首都华盛顿的法律承认同性婚姻登记，还有其
它六个州与夏威夷的情况类似，虽不承认同性婚姻，但同性伴侣享有与异性婚姻配偶同
样的权利。
另外，夏威夷的参议院在通过民事结合关系法案的当天，还投票确认了由州长提名
的州最高法院一位法官的的任命，获提名的萨布里娜-麦卡纳（Sabrina McKenna）现年
53岁，她将成为夏威夷第一位公开为同性恋者的最高法院法官。（爱白网） |
|
