House postpones civil unions bill indefinitely

HONOLULU—After a resounding vote of passage by the State Senate last week, Hawaii’s civil union bill was effectively sidelined this morning by the House.

When the votes were tallied, Speaker Calvin Say announced that House Bill 444 was postponed indefinitely. The single opposing vote against deferring the measure was made by Rep. Joe Bertram, III. Rep. Robert Herkes was excused.

PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) rallied at the Capitol today to support the passage of the bill. The national non-profit organization promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, their families, and friends through support, education, and advocacy.

PFLAG-Hawaii members Glenn Maiden and Vincent Rosa were among civil union supporters who wore rainbow colored lei and stickers calling for equality.

According to Rosa, the main reason why people oppose House Bill 444 is because they do not know enough about the bill. He believes that many people do not support civil unions out of fear due to misinformation.

“People don’t take the time and effort to learn [about the details of] the bill,” Rosa said.

The bill extends the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union. By establishing the status of civil unions in Hawaii, the bill states, it is not the Legislature’s intent to revise the definition or eligibility requirements of marriage under chapter 572, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

When asked about how the passage of civil unions would affect his life, Rosa said: “There’s going to be less people taking away your hopes.”

He explained that the actions of our leaders set the example of what is acceptable in society. Rosa said that the passage of House Bill 444 in the Senate last week immediately created a feeling of acceptance, awareness, and support for what PFLAG represents.

However, Rosa also recalled a recent incident where he was assaulted with three homophobic slurs within an hour.

It will take community pressure on state lawmakers to call for a House floor vote if House Bill 444 is going to see the light of day this session. The bill would now require a majority floor vote before the end of session on April 29 to pass.

After hearing the House’s decision today, PFLAG’s Michael Golojuch, Jr. said: “The GOP is the party of ‘no.’ Today we see, the Democratic Party is the party of ‘wont.’”