In Hawaii…
of course it is!
Gay rights supporters said being homosexual is not a choice, and gay citizens deserve the same legal rights as everyone else when it comes to marriage.
But trans people…
and freedom from employment discrimination…………..?
Crickets, I hear crickets!
And I smell the underside of yet another bus:
The state Senate on Friday approved Senate Bill 232, relating to Civil Unions, at its regular daily session.
The bill says unmarried, unrelated couples may have a judge or clergy solemnize their civil union, which will provide the same responsibilities and benefits of marriage under state law.
The bill passed the full Senate 19-6.
…
Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign whatever civil unions legislation is approved. Abercrombie has said he it is a simple issue of civil rights.
“The stars are aligned from here to the fifth floor,” Majority Leader Sen. Brickwood Galuteria said. Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign whatever civil unions legislation is approved. Abercrombie has said he it is a simple issue of civil rights.
“The stars are aligned from here to the fifth floor,” Majority Leader Sen. Brickwood Galuteria said.
The stars are aligned?
Sounds a lot like “Hawaii is a discrimination-free zone” to me.
And just as worthless to trans people.
ANYTHING except rectification of political hate crimes against trans people…
Its what’s for dinner!
[UPDATE]
Well, it would appear as though there is another item on the menu – or, perhaps more accurately, there’s another menu that the media’d isn’t showing off:
SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to clarify existing law with regard to sex discrimination and provide that discrimination based upon gender identity or expression constitutes a form of sex discrimination.
SECTION 2. Section 378-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:
““Gender identity or expression” includes a person’s actual or perceived gender, as well as a person’s gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, regardless of whether that gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s sex at birth.“
And, though it did get a unanimous thumbs-up in a House committee, I stand by my assertion that the word “marriage” has no business being uttered in Hawaii until this bill is signed into law by the governor.
[Cross-posted at ENDABlog]