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Pro-LGBT Neil Abercrombie's Huge Win in Hawaii Dem Gov Primary

Good news to report from Hawaii. Neil Abercombie, the pro-equality former longtime congressman, is now the Democratic nominee for governor after a resounding primary win on Saturday, reports the Star-Advertiser.

Abercrombie crushed former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann 60 percent to 38 percent statewide and took Oahu, the Big Island and Maui while narrowly losing on Kauai. A Star-Advertiser analysis of the primary election by state House district found that Abercrombie won all but four districts: Wailuku and Kahului on Maui and Lihue and Koloa on Kauai. Abercrombie, who represented urban Honolulu in Congress for two decades, dominated on Oahu. Some of his largest margins were in districts in Hawaii Kai, Pacific Heights, Kailua and his home in Manoa. Hannemann, who served as Honolulu mayor for the past six years, lost every district on his home turf and only managed to take a handful of precincts in Pearl City, Kapolei and Kahuku.

Abercrombie supports full marriage equality. Hannemann opposed HB444, the bill that would have allowed same-sex and opposite-sex couples the right to enter into civil unions.  Hawaii's twice-divorced and lame duck Republican Gov. Linda Lingle cowardly vetoed HB444 last July to "protect" traditional marriage.

Neil Abercrombie will face the stridently anti-gay Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona in November.

ACLU, Lambda Legal to Sue Hawaii and Lingle for Equal Rights for Gays

Three weeks after Hawaii's twice-divorced and lame duck Republican Gov. Linda Lingle cowardly vetoed HB444, the civil unions bill, six gay couples in the Aloha State will file a lawsuit today asking for the same rights as married couples. The lawsuit is being brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU.

"The lawsuit doesn't seek the titles of 'marriage' or 'civil unions' for gay partners. Instead, it requests that the court system extend them the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution's prohibition against sex discrimination. 'We continue to be discriminated against,' said plaintiff Suzanne King, who has been in a relationship with her partner for 29 years. 'We're a family unit, and we live our lives just like everyone else, but we aren't treated the same.' The legal action in state court comes as a response to the Republican governor's veto July 6, when she said voters should decide whether to reserve marriage for couples of a man and a woman."

And:

"The office of Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett declined comment Wednesday because it hadn't yet been served with the lawsuit. The state grants some rights to gay couples through its reciprocal beneficiaries system. But they lack the same legal priviledges and obligations of adoption, child support, alimony and access to family court, said Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, which is bringing the case along with the American Civil Liberties Union."

The suit is expected to reach the Hawaii Supreme Court. 

Stridently anti-gay  Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who is a candidate for governor, opposes civil unions. On the Democratic side, only former congressman Neil Abercrombie supports fully equality.

HB444 News: Editorial Slams Veto; Aiona; ACLU, Lambda Legal to Sue

A few overnight developments on the veto of HB444 ...

Hawaii's dominant newspaper has slammed the twice-divorced Republican governor's veto of HB444. In an editorial in the Star-Advertiser, the editors criticize Gov. Linda Lingle's "weak rationalization" for vetoing the "most consequential" legislation put before her.

"I am vetoing this bill because I have become convinced that it is of such societal importance that it needs to be decided by all the people of Hawaii," she said. This is a weak rationalization. Decisions dealing with the civil rights of a minority population -- and HB 444 in its essence attempts to equalize the civil rights of all couples -- are unsuited to be put to a popular vote. Civil rights decisions of the past, including the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, would not have won passage had they been left up to the electorate. Preventing the tyranny of the majority is precisely the province of representative government.

Democratic State Sen. Les Ihara Jr: "She is taking us back 100 years if we are going to decide civil-rights issues by majority rule."

"It's beyond problematic," said Steven Levinson, a retired associate justice of the state Supreme Court, whose daughter is a lesbian. "By definition, civil rights can't be defined by the majority. That's why we have a Bill of Rights, both at the federal and the state level. By their very nature, individual liberties are intended to be counter-majoritarian."

Anti-gay Catholic Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who is also a candidate for governor, applauds the veto for "making this difficult and courageous decision." If elected governor,  Aiona says he "will propose a constitutional amendment to take the issue to the voters."

Former congressman and pro-equality gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie: "It will be up to the next governor and Legislature to ensure that all people of Hawaii receive equal treatment. Protecting people’s civil rights cannot be compromised." 

Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii will file a lawsuit against Lingle and Hawaii. The suit has been ready  since the House tabled HB 444 in January.

Hawaii GOP Gov. Linda Lingle VETOES HB444, Civil Unions Bill

Hawaii's Republican Gov. Linda Lingle today has vetoed HB444, a bill that would have allowed same-sex and opposite-sex couples the right to enter into civil unions.  "It is essentially marriage by another name," Lingle said at a press conference in the last hour, echoing similar comments made in May. "Because it has the same rights, benefits, responsibilities and protections."

Lingle added that she did not support "same gender marriage" and called for a referendum. "It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual. This issue deserves to be decided by all the people of Hawaii."

The legislation passed the Hawaii House on April 29 by a 31–20 vote and the state Senate on Jan. 22 by an 18–7 vote. The Senate vote was enough to override a veto. The House vote was not and would need 34 votes to override. Apparently, there will be no veto session, reports  The Star-Advertiser: "House leaders announced on Friday that they would not return for a one-day veto override session today. Senate leaders had said they were willing to return. The House's decision left the fate of the civil-unions bill solely in Lingle's hands for this year.

Evangelicals,  social conservatives and the Hawaii Catholic Diocese have organized massive anti-gay demonstrations against the legislation. Lingle's devoutly Catholic and staunchly anti-gay Lt. Governor James "Duke" Aiona, who is running to succeed the governor, has slammed HB444 and promised a November voter referendum on civil unions if the bill were to become law.

These are Lingle's final months in office and signing the bill would have cost her nothing politically. The Republican governor is determined to ride out of office on a broom and leaves behind a legacy of intolerance.

Hawaii GOP Gov. Linda Lingle to Put Civil Unions on Potential Veto List

Hawaii's stridently anti-gay Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona has announced Gov. Linda Lingle will mark the pending civil unions legislation on the potential veto list Monday, reports KITV.

"Aiona said that does not mean the governor will veto the bill that would give all the rights of marriage under Hawaii law to same sex and heterosexual couples. 'It will be a potential veto and the governor right now is crafting her decision as to whether of not she will or will not veto that bill. Some, we will find out. The deadline for that is July 6,' Aiona said. The governor's potential veto list is to inform lawmakers of bill that might be vetoes to give them time to determine if they want to override her vetoes."

The Hawaii House passed HB444 by a 31-20 vote on April 29. The bill passed the Senate 18-7 in January. The Senate vote was enough to override a veto, but the House vote was not. The House would need 34 votes to override.

Evangelicals,  social conservatives and the Hawaii Catholic Diocese organized massive anti-gay demonstrations against the legislation. The Catholic and staunchly anti-gay Aiona, who is running to succeed Lingle, has slammed HB444 and promised a November voter referendum on civil unions if the bill is passed.

Hawaii GOP Gov. Lingle: Civil Unions Bill Same as Same-Sex Marriage

Hawaii's Republican Gov. Linda Lingle continues to claim she is undecided on the Legislature's civil unions bill, but described HB444 as the equivalent of same-sex marriage to the Honolulu Advertiser.

"''It does appear to me on reading it, that it really is same-sex marriage, but by a different name,' Lingle told reporters during a break at the state GOP convention at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikīkī. 'But I want to wait and hear people out.' Lingle has said in the past that she would consider some form of domestic partnership legislation but she has opposed same-sex marriage.The governor made it clear yesterday that she believes domestic partnerships are different from the civil unions described in the bill.

The bill would give same-sex and heterosexual couples who enter into civil unions the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as in marriage under state law. Couples in civil unions, however, would not be recognized under federal law. Gay rights activists believe this distinction, as well as the fact that civil unions would not have the same social and cultural significance as marriage, separates civil unions from marriage."

Oh, there's about 1100 federal benefits available to "marriage" and not "civil unions". Plus that little thing called DOMA. But who's counting?

Lingle has until July 6 to veto, sign or let the bill become law without her signature. The Hawaii House passed HB444 by a 31-20 vote on April 29. The bill passed the Senate 18-7 in January. The Senate vote was enough to override a veto, but the House vote was not. The House would need 34 votes to override.

Meanwhile: Delegates at this weekend's Hawaii Republican Convention passed a resolution calling on Lingle to veto HB444, reports the Star Bulletin.

Stridently anti-gay Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who is running to succeed Lingle, has slammed the Senate vote and promised a November voter referendum on civil unions.

Hawaii Approves Civil Unions Bill

With only hours left in the legislative session and with a 31-20 vote, the Hawaii House passed HB444, the civil unions bill debated by the legislature for more than a year. The bill passed the Senate 18-7 in January.

The Honolulu Advertiser:

"[Republican] Gov. Linda Lingle had urged lawmakers against taking up civil unions this session and to instead focus on the state's budget deficit. She has not said whether she would sign or veto the bill. Lingle has 45 days to decide. If she vetoes the bill, the House and Senate can come back in a one-day override session in July. The vote in the Senate was enough to override a veto, but the vote in the House was not. The House would need 34 votes to override."

The bill would give unmarried same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights as married couples. Similar legislation also passed the House by a 33-17 vote in February 2009.

This session's bill stalled after evangelical Christian organizations and the Honolulu Catholic diocese organized massive anti-gay demonstrations in January. At that time, stridently anti-gay Catholic Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who is also a candidate for governor, slammed the Senate vote and promised a November voter referendum on civil unions.

Hawaii's Anti-Gay GOP Lt. Gov James Aiona Opposes Civil Unions

On Friday, the Hawaii Senate voted 18-7 to approve a bill recognizing civil unions. The lopsided vote can override a potential veto and "send[s] a strong message of support to the state House and Gov. Linda Lingle," notes the Honolulu Advertiser.

The Republican Lingle has not indicated if she will sign the bill. But the stridently anti-gay Catholic Republican Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who is also a candidate for governor, slammed the vote and hinted toward a voter referendum.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona said that the Senate vote was at odds with the people of the state. "Instead of redefining the institution of marriage, legislators should be focused on improving public education and balancing the state budget," Aiona said in a statement. "Like other movements across the country, voters will have the final say on Election Day."

HB 444 now returns to the House which passed a similar measure by a 33-17 vote in February 2009

Aiona headlined last weekend's anti-civil unions rally in Honolulu that attracted thousands. At the rally, Aiona, a former Bush appointee, said that he and his wife Vivian "may have struggled at times" during their marriage but: "We do know one thing. We know that marriage is about a man and a woman. That is true."

Not "true" everywhere, Duke. A half a dozen states, our nation's capital, Canada, Portugal ...

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