HI: House Leaders Kill Civil Unions Bill After Overwhelming Senate Passage

Hawaii lawmakers declined to vote today on a bill that would have allowed same-sex civil unions, effectively killing the measure. The state House of Representatives decided to indefinitely postpone a decision on whether to grant gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits the state provides to married couples.

The state Senate had approved a civil unions bill last week. But House leadership wavered on pushing the controversial issue. Last year, 33 of 51 House members voted in favor of civil unions. Civil union supporters in the crowded House gallery on Friday shouted, "Shame on you!" while opponents cheered.

"It's an election year, and they're more concerned about keeping their seats than doing what's right," said Stephen Nagle of Kaaawa, wearing a rainbow lei in support of civil unions.

Full Story from the Mercury News
Click here for gay marriage resources in Hawaii .
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CA: 300 March at San Diego Hyatt to Protest AHA Meeting at Anti Gay Hotel

Close to 300 people staged a raucous demonstration at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego on Jan. 9 to protest the American Historical Association’s decision to go ahead with its annual meeting there rather than honor the gay boycott of the hotel. The boycott was launched in mid-2008 after hotel owner Doug Manchester donated $125,000 to the campaign to put Proposition 8 on the ballot. The constitutional amendment passed in November 2008, repealing same-sex marriage in California. The AHA said its contracts with the Hyatt were in place long before anyone had heard of Prop. 8 and that it would have cost the association around $800,000 to move the Jan. 7-10 convention. Instead, the AHA staged a free-to-the-public, 15-part miniconvention at the Hyatt "to explore historical perspectives on same-sex marriage. Full Story from Bay Windows: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=100983

Click here for gay marriage resources in California.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook - just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you'll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We're also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.