Focus On The Rainbow

After the Hawaii State Senate had passed HB 444 by a vote of 18 to 7 just last Friday, yesterday the House “postponed the bill indefinitely”  according to KGMB/KHNL-TV in yet another case of not allowing equal rights for gays and lesbians.

While dozens, especially white-shirted opponents of the civil unions measure, lined up early to pack the House chamber, House majority Democrats met behind closed doors to decide what to do.

Shortly afterward, House Speaker Calvin made the motion that House Bill 444 “be postponed indefinitely.”

House members approved the motion on a voice vote, drawing cheers from opponents, and angry chants of “roll call! Roll call!” from gay activists and other supporters.

Outside the chamber, the anger continued, with opponents chanting, “shame on you! Shame on you!”

“They’re not Christians. They can’t be Christians and deny others rights,” said Carolyn Golojuch, a civil unions supporter and the Civil Rights chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party.

“Fear and bullying tactics superseded integrity and common sense,” Alan Spector of the group Equality Hawaii said.

In an article at KITV-TV’s website, “We’re sorely disappointed that the Hawaii State House refused to take action on the civil unions bill,” Equality Hawaii Co-Chairwoman Tambry Young said in a written statement. “Today, the House put its own political interests before the interests of Hawaii’s families and that’s bad policy and bad politics. We pledge that this fight is not over and we will continue in our efforts to see true equality in our state.”

“This is a temporary victory that only seeks to delay a meaningful decision on traditional marriage,” Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona said in a written statement. “The State Legislature will continue to play political hot potato with the institution of marriage until the people of Hawai‘i are allowed to vote on it once and for all.”

“None of us here in the state legislature are cowards. They were listening to their constituency at this point in time and the votes were not there,” House Speaker Calvin Say said.

Say said last year’s 33 House votes in favor of civil unions had eroded to just 27 votes, which was not a veto-proof majority. 

Mexico City’s mayor says he will defend the capital’s gay-marriage law and insists the ordinance will take effect in March despite an appeal by federal prosecutors.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrad says the federal appeal on constitutional grounds is wrong. He says nothing in Mexico’s constitution prohibits same-sex marriage or adoption by gay couples.

The city’s legal adviser, Leticia Bonifaz, said Thursday the first gay marriages will be performed in early May while the Supreme Court hears the case.

The federal Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday it filed a challenge with the Supreme Court arguing the law violates constitutional provisions on the family and the protection of children.

The law is a first for Latin America.

Source - Associated Press

State senators voted 18 to 7 in favor of a civil unions bill designed to give same-sex more rights as married couples do.

Supporters and opponents of the civil union bill packed the Senate gallery on Friday before a key vote. At about 11:10 a.m., officials opened the gallery to the public. It was packed with an overflow crowd.

Opponents of House Bill 444 wore white T-shirts. Supporters wore rainbow-colored lei.

Senators rejected an amendment to the bill that would have changed the date of the measure from Jan. 1, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2011.

Senators then began debate of the bill. The measure drew heated debate by senators on both sides of the issue.

“This bill would replace what traditional marriage is,” Sen. Sam Slom said.

“For me, it is about equal treatment,” Sen. Rosalyn Baker said. She said she did not see anything in the bill that would take away from traditional marriage.

Cheers erupted after the vote was counted

“We’re very pleased that the Hawaii State Senate took action and passed the civil unions bill today,” Equality Hawaii Co-Chairwoman Tambry Young said in a written statement. “The Senate acted with great courage, conviction and integrity. They did the right thing for all of Hawaii’s families.”

Full article at KITV-TV

Less than a month after the Granite State legalized gay marriage, opponents, most likely lead threw the backdoor by groups such as NOM, will today ask a New Hampshire House committee to repeal the law and allow voters to cast their votes and anti-gay voice and take away the right for gays and lesbian to marry and amend the state constitution to make marriage between a man and woman only.

Same song, different dance.

The House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on the two measures that many expect the House to reject when they are brought to the floor in the next few weeks.

Opponents know their chances of success are slim at this point, but they are looking to the November election in hopes Republicans will regain control of the Statehouse and succeed then in repealing the law.

In recent weeks, opponents began a grass-roots effort to challenge the law indirectly by suggesting New Hampshire’s 400 House members and 24 senators aren’t representative of the people’s wishes. They point out that in the 31 states where voters have had a say, gay marriage has been rejected.

Source – The Boston Globe

The measure would grant gay couples the rights and benefits the state provides to married couples and is among a handful of similar proposals that could pop up in several other states. At the same time, a federal judge in San Francisco is considering the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban.

Last year, the proposal easily won preliminary passage in the Legislature, but stalled in May after opponents lobbied and held a state Capitol rally attended by several thousand protesters.

“It’s up to the people who oppose civil unions to remind the legislators that they work for the people,” said Garret Hashimoto, chairman of the Hawaii Christian Coalition. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts that the majority of the people in Hawaii oppose civil unions and gay marriage.”

Source – Nevada Appeal

A sea of people in white flooded the State Capitol Rotunda and spilled onto Beratania Street, hoping to convince lawmakers to kill an upcoming bill that would establish civil unions in Hawaii.

The bill, which has been stalled since last May in the state Senate, would extend the same rights and benefits of married couples to partners in civil unions.

Most of the demonstrators came to support traditional marriage.

“It is our responsibility to nurture it, protect it and sustain it,” said Marc Alexander.

Event organizers set up voter registration tables that some believe will put pressure on state lawmakers and the gubernatorial candidates. Both Lt. Governor Duke Aiona and Mayor Mufi Hannemann made unscheduled appearance at the rally. A sea of people in white flooded the State Capitol Rotunda and spilled onto Beratania Street, hoping to convince lawmakers to kill an upcoming bill that would establish civil unions in Hawaii.

Source – KITV-TV

A joint resolution sponsored by 18 Senate Republicans was introduced Thursday proposing a constitutional amendment specifying marriage between one man and one woman as the only legal union that is valid or recognized in the state.

The resolution was assigned to the 11-member Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which is chaired by Gronstal and has seven majority Democratic members.

Source – Globe-Gazette

Supporters and opponents of Iowa’s gay marriage law gathered at the Statehouse in Des Moines to push their views about voting on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions.

Backers of the gay marriage law on Tuesday delivered a petition to the Legislature with 18,000 signatures, urging lawmakers to not put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would ban same-sex marriage. They also announced a list of 71 labor, community and church groups that agree with their views.

Those seeking a vote on the gay marriage law held a rally and jammed the House gallery as Gov. Chet Culver delivered his condition of the state speech. As Culver left the chamber, activists in the Rotunda chanted “let us vote” in support of a resolution calling for a statewide election on the issue.

Source – KCRG-TV more at The Ames Tribune.