Tell Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle to Sign the Civil Unions Bill

The Hawaiian legislature passed the civil unions bill by a vote of 31-20 (three votes short of a veto proof majority) a few weeks ago. The bill passed the senate back in January, earlier this year. The bill now sits at the desk of Republican Governor Linda Lingle who has not spoken publicly on whether she will sign, veto, or ignore the bill.

The deadline for action on the bill is July 6th, meanwhile the Governor is keeping her options open and putting the bill on a possible veto list. She has met with proponents and opponents of the bill and is weighing her options carefully.

Please tell Governor Lingle to sign the civil unions bill into law.
E-contact form
Phone: (808) 586-0221 or (808) 586-0222

Last Ditch Effort to Bring Civil Unions to Hawaii this Session

Hawaii has had a heated debate about the legalization of civil unions (House Bill 444) for same-sex couples for the past few years. In the early part of the year the Senate passed civil unions legislation but the House of Representatives delayed a vote indefinitely.

The opportunity to bring the bill back to the floor this session ends on Thursday. Both sides of the argument are lobbying their legislators and rallying to either vote or delay the bills discussion.

Please contact members of the Hawaii Legislature and tell them to pass HB444 here.

Hawaiian LGBT families can join Citizens for Equal Rights to show pictures of their families to elected officials.

Hawaii House Postpones Civil Unions Vote Indefinitely

Hawaii was on the verge of making history today by passing comprehensive civil unions legislation. The bill had enough votes to pass had the House not decided to delay a vote indefinitely. Same-sex couples in Hawaii demand justice and equality and not political maneuvering by representatives. Please continue to contact representatives and demand the bill be brought to the floor this session.

Word of the Gay: "Civil Union"

A "civil union" is a government sanctioned recognition of a couple that is similar to marriage but lacks the name and hundreds of rights. Civil unions have traditionally been entered into by same-sex couples, but increasingly by heterosexuals who oppose the institution of marriage but want to receive government benefits.

Illinois Legislature to Vote on Civil Unions Today!

The Illinois House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill allowing for civil unions for same-sex couples within just a few hours.

It is high time that committed same-sex couples have access to rights such as visiting a partner in a hospital, making financial and medical decisions, etc.

Urge representatives in the House to support HB2234, the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act. Use this e-action form from Equality Illinois.

Call your State Senator in Springfield. Ask them to support the civil union bill, Senate Bill 1716. (The switchboard number is 217-782-2000).

Stop the Civil Unions Bill in Hawaii from Dying

Lack of support from a key senator makes it unlikely that a civil unions bill will be revived in the Hawaii legislature today, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.

State Senator Brian Taniguchi, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, said he likely would not recall the bill from the committee, where it stalled in a 3-3 vote in February.

Although Taniguchi, a Democrat, earlier said he would recall the bill from his committee, recent appeals from the senate leadership reportedly have contributed to his about-face. He also expressed concern about the inability to garner the two-thirds votes needed in both chambers of the legislature to override a veto threat from Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican.

ACTION:
Contact Sen. Brian Taniguchi and tell them to support pulling the bill out of his committee!

Phone: 808-586-6460
Email: sentaniguchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Crossposted via Unite The Fight.

Take Action to Support Civil Unions in Hawaii

The civil unions bill has already passed the Hawai'i State House of Representatives, but it has hit a roadblock in the State Senate. It's not too late for the Senate to take action and pass this legislation, but we need your help. We need your voices, speaking in favor of equality, to let the State Senate and Governor Lingle know that many residents of Hawaii reject discrimination and support civil unions. Please sign the attached petition in support of the civil unions bill.

Sign the petition now to demand civil unions and pass this on to friends.

Anti-Gay Hate Group Allowed on U. Hawaii Campus

University of Hawaii students have been verbally and emotionally harassed by an outside group that has been flown in to the state to use scare tactics due to the students overwhelming support for a civil unions bill.

A mainland U.S. christian hate group calling itself Bema Ministries turned up on the campus last week to preach, harass, photograph, and intimidate students at the Campus Center. They will be there this coming week as well. They showed up on the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus, screamed at students for a few hours on Wednesday, got kicked out because they didn't have a permit, and then returned with a permit issued by the university chancellor the next day.

The student code of conduct expressly forbids hate speech yet this non-student group came on campus and not only made anti-gay statements, but told Hawaiian students that the sovereignty movement was idolatrous and evil, and told Buddhist students they would burn in hell. The main course of hate was reserved for UH Manoa's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex students (Pam's Houseblend).

Counter protests are being planned, a sit in at the Chancellor's office is also expected until these demonstrators leave.

This is unacceptable, that a non-student, non-Hawaiian hate group is allowed to come onto a campus to harass students. Please contact the chancellor immediately to revoke their permit to enter the campus, this is a safety issue, as well as a violation of the universities principles.

Chancellor's Office
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2500 Campus Road
Hawaiʻi Hall 202
Honolulu, HI 96822
808-956-7651

You can also use this E-feedback form to voice your complaints.

Mormon Machine Working Against Civil Unions in Illinois

The following official email was just sent out (via the LDS Church website) to all the members of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward, as approved by Kristy Combs, ward website administrator, and by Bishop Chris Church of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward. (Because it was sent through the LDS website, it required the authorization of a bishop or higher.)

"This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.

The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives. This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another's bathrooms and locker rooms.What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.

Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).

Members of the Youth and Family Committee:

Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill)
Chairperson
217-782-3835

Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago)
Vice-Chairperson
217-782-5962

Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago)
Republican Spokesperson
217-782-1653

Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago)
217-782-2023

Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago)
217-782-8182

Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson)
217-558-1007

Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford)
217-782-0455

Directions for identifying your legislators:

You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and
their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 (and enter your 9
digit zip code). If this link doesn't work, you can use the general
link www.ilga.gov and then click on " legislator lookup" near the
bottom of the page, then click on "by zip+4". Type in your zip code,
and you'll see a list of your legislators. You want your state
senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on
the bill.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sister Combs"

Please do the opposite of this action alert by the church and tell your legislators you support the HB2234 the civil unions bill.

Crossposted via Chino Blanco.

Nearing an Aloha for Civil Unions?

The Hawaii House has passed a civil unions bill and now the bill moves up the way for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee where the fate of the legislation is uncertain.

Please contact members of the senate and urge them to support civil unions. A full list of senators can be found here.

24 Hours for Marriage Equality in the Garden State

If you’re fed up with inequality, join Garden State Equality for 24 HOURS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY. It all begins at 7:00 pm on Fight Back Night, Wednesday, February 18, 2009, and continues through Thursday night, February 19th. The events, listed below, are in North and South Jersey.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Montclair, Garden State Equality headquarters, 500 Bloomfield Avenue, with a free pizza and pasta dinner. It’s Fight Back Night! Together, we will work the phones and speak with leaders from all walks of life in recruiting them to join our fight for marriage equality.

Thursday, February 19, 2009 from 7:00 am to 9:30 am at the Maplewood Train Station, 161 Dunnell Road, downtown Maplewood, with free donuts and coffee. Yes, the early morning! Kick off Anniversary of a Failure Day as we meet and talk to commuters about the dire need for marriage equality, and enlist their support.

Thursday, February 19, 2009 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in Montclair, Garden State Equality headquarters, 500 Bloomfield Avenue, with free lunch from Panera. In our Anniversary of a Failure Day open house, you will speak with decision makers about why you demand marriage equality now.

Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 5:00 pm in Collingswood, Grove Ground Coffee Bar, 647 Haddon Avenue. Anniversary of a Failure Day continues in South Jersey. Join us as we walk from merchant to merchant to enlist their support for marriage equality.

Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Cherry Hill, Unitarian Universalist Church, 401 Kings Highway North, with a free pizza and pasta dinner. It’s South Jersey’s own Fight Back Night! Together, we will work the phones and speak with leaders from all walks of life in recruiting them to join our fight for marriage equality.

Garden State Equality:
Statewide headquarters (973) GSE-LGBT
Contact@GardenStateEquality.org

Crossposted via Daily Queer News.

Urge Senator Robert Bunda to Side With Equality on Hawaii Civil Unions Bill

Hawaii is close to having civil unions, the house has just passed the bill and now it is up to the senate. In order for the bill to come up for a vote it needs to advance through the committee.

On the six-member committee, 3 are supportive, 2 against and one who has been against but is now a swing vote.

Sen. Robert Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa) said he needs to get a better understanding of the legislation and will consider it even though he has been opposed to same-sex unions in the past.

Please contact Mr. Bunda and politely urge him to support civil unions, remind him that his election is historic as being the first Filipino to attain the presidency of any state legislature and that he should stand up for diversity and equality.

senbunda@Capitol.hawaii.gov

22nd Senatorial District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 202
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
phone 808-586-6090; fax 808-586-6091

Hawaii Civil Unions Bill Hearing on 2/5, Testimony Needed!

URGENT ALERT: House Bill 444, A Bill For An Act Relating to Civil Unions in Hawaii, will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, 2/5/09, at 2 p.m. in Conference Room 325 at the State Capitol (415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu).

Testimony needs to be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the hearing with a cover indicating:

* Testifier's name with position/title and organization
* The Committee the comments are directed to (in this case, Judiciary)
* The date and time of the hearing
* The measure number (HB 444)
* The number of copies the Committee is requesting

Testimony can be submitted in ONE of the following ways:

* Paper: One copy plus original to Room 302 in the State Capitol
* Fax: For comments less than five pages in length, transmit to 586-8494 (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (Neighbor Islands).
* E-mail: For comments less than five pages in length, email to JUDtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

RECOMMENDATIONS: Please refer to Family Equality Coalition e-mail of 2/1/09 for suggested guidelines for preparing testimony. It is posted at http://tinyurl.com/family-equality. It is recommended that you keep your testimony brief! The goal is to get through this hearing in no more than three to four hours and move directly to a vote.

PLANS TO MEET: Please arrive by 1 p.m. We will meet in the Capitol Rotunda on the Iolani Palace side. Family Equality Coalition will distribute Equality stickers for you to wear during the hearing. We will also go over some guidelines for suggested decorum.

IF UNABLE TO ATTEND: If you are unable to attend the public hearing, please submit testimony regardless. It will still be part of the public record and be of much benefit.

Crossposted via Pam's House Blend.

New Illinois Governor Appears Favorable to LGBT Community

The new Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn who has replaced the corrupted former Governor Blagojevich appears to be supportive of the LGBT community.

Governor Quinn has marched in the gay pride parade, and is reported to strongly support civil unions legislation.

Anti-Gay Democrat Tim Kaine Selected as DNC Chair

Tim Kaine has been selected as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Kaine is anti civil union and has endorsed an amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Click here to ask why LGBT democrats should support a party whose chair is anti civil unions and more anti-gay than John McCain.

H/T to Blog Active

Activist Tip: Take Away Their Marriage Recognition

For those who voted to take away our marriage rights, we can symbolically take away the recognition of theirs as well. In some ways it seems a little juvenile, but so are their actions, and this will go a long way to make our point. If you know someone who is anti-gay, or voted for a proposition banning same-sex marriage, you can no longer regard their relationship as a marriage. Instead, give them a taste of what they are subjecting us to. Refer to their spouse as their "domestic partner" and their marriage as a "civil union" or just say you no longer recognize marriages since your right to them was taken away.

H/T to Chino Blanco for the graphic.

N.J. Civil Union Review Commission Recommends Marriage Upgrade

Happy Human Rights Day, we are starting off the day pretty well. The New Jersey Civil Unions Review Commission was created by the legislature to analyze the effects of civil unions within the state.

The commission has found that civil unions are separate and unequal and have noted many instances where same-sex couples and their children are being treated unfairly due to this second-class citizen law.

The commissions report recommends the governor and legislature act quickly to enact full marriage equality for the state of New Jersey.

Urge Vermont Governor to Support Marriage Equality

Vermont was the first state in the union to sign into law a civil unions bill under than governor Howard Dean (D). Since that time lawmakers have been challenging the civil unions law which does not provide full equal benefits to gay and lesbian couples. The house is likely to take up a bill upgrading civil unions to full marriage equality this session.

The current governor Jim Douglas (R) has come out in opposition to marriage equality and feels civil unions are adequate. He has yet to indicate whether he would veto this bill if it comes to his desk.

"Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas said Thursday he would oppose legislation allowing same-sex marriages, saying the state's civil unions law is adequate and that lawmakers should be focusing on the state's money problems.

State Sen. John Campbell says he plans to introduce such legislation in the Legislature's upcoming session. "I think the current civil union law is sufficient," Douglas said. "It accords equality of rights to Vermonters in terms of their relationships and I think we should leave the law as it is." Campbell said the bill is unlikely to gain support in the Legislature unless Douglas gives a clear signal he would sign it – or allow it to become law without his signature.

But Douglas balked at sending any such signal. "I never indicate what I might do when a bill gets to my desk, but I've been quite clear that I don't support the legislation," said Douglas, a Republican." (JMG)

It is imperative that we begin to contact the governor and urge him to sign into law a marriage equality bill should it eventually come to his desk. We must remind him that regardless of how he personally feels about marriage it is wrong to create a separate and unequal institution for LGBT people.

Use the E-contact form to get in touch with the governor.

Governor Jim Douglas
109 State Street, Pavilion
Montpelier, VT 05609-0101

802 828-3333
(toll-free in VT only: 800 649-6825)

Unified Voice - Stand for Civil Partnerships

The people at Unified Voice believe that America is not ready for marriage equality, so instead their focus is on taking it one step at a time, securing as many rights as possible. They hope that through their action they can secure civil partnerships in all 50 states by 2020.

Sign the petition to grant full civil partnership benefits on a federally recognized level.

Equality Utah - Petition for Gay & Transgender Utahns

"Throughout the recent election cycle, the LDS Church has demonstrated its willingness to participate in political issues by asking its members to do all they can do, including donating their means and their time, to support California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution and eliminated gay couples right to marry by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

The LDS Church has articulated it is not “anti-gay” but rather pro-marriage and it “does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights.” On November 5th, Elder L. Whitney Clayton stated the LDS Church does not oppose “civil unions or domestic partnerships.” In response to these statements, Equality Utah is drafting legislation for the 2009 General Session of the Utah Legislature to address each of the issues mentioned by the LDS Church."

Help urge the LDS church to stick by their statements and help in the effort to pass equality legislation in Utah.

Click here to sign the Equality Utah petition.