Significant progress has been made in the sunny island state of Hawaii. This state is the 16th in the nation to provide same sex couples the freedom to marry. This dream became a happy reality for couples on November 13, 2013 when Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the marriage bill that had already been approved by members of the state Senate and House. There are many supporters in the state for marriage equality and now Hawaii Gay Marriage laws reflect that support. It will be possible for homosexual couples to begin getting married and planning weddings on December 2.
The history of Hawaii Gay Marriage might be used as a roadmap for other states. Without the help of a national LGBT group or even an organized local group, three couples sued the state for legalized marriage equality. The first decision made by the Hawaii Supreme Court did not grant marriage rights to couples, but did influence the Reciprocal Beneficiaries statute that gave some right to friends, partners, and family members.
Unfortunately, the advancements made in Hawaii were impeded by an anti-gay federal law, the Defense of Marriage Act. In 1998, the Hawaii Constitution was amended to exclude legal protection to same sex couples.
In February of 2011, the state of Hawaii Gay Marriage was once again on the positive side. As a preview of the changes to come, Gov. Abercrombie issued some protections to homosexual couples in the form of a civil union bill. The performance of civil unions began in January 2012.
Today, groups such as Hawaii United for Marriage, Equality Hawaii, ACLU of Hawaii, and the Freedom to Marry campaign continue to support the efforts of citizens and politicians to further advance the rights of same sex couples. There are currently 3,239 same sex couples living in Hawaii and more than half of the state’s residents believe in marriage equality. A much smaller portion of the state opposes the effort toward equal marriage freedom.
