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What's shakin', Blenders? A-LOOOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAA!!
Today was the third and final reading in the Hawaii State House of Representatives for HB444, a bill for Civil Unions. The bill was introduced on January 23 by Rep. Blake Oshiro, with 32 co-sponsors. We went through the lobby process, passed the first reading, went through a hearing with the Judiciary committee, were referred back to the House, passed the second hearing, and now we have passed the third and final hearing. The voting total was 34 yes, 17 no, 1 excused. The bill for Civil Unions has been referred to the Senate.
Belated liveblog below the fold (my laptop wireless ethernet went ker-splat, sorry!). UPDATE - The Morning After: Local radio station STAR 101.9 this morning made mention of the bill passing. D.J. "Scotty B" wondered aloud if there was one specific reason why the LGBT community was pushing for this. So I called in and educated him as to the need for comprehensive legal protections, the inadequacy of Reciprocal Beneficiaries, and the access to family court that Civil Unions will provide. Of course they asked the question, "What's to stop people from doing a 'Chuck and Larry' civil union?" To which I replied, "There's nothing stopping straight people from entering sham marriages for health care, or immigration, or economic reasons, or whatever. I'm sure that to the extent that any person is dishonest, some people will do so, just like straight people use fake marriages to their own benefit. When I was in the military, I can't tell you how many people I saw get married just to get the extra money every month." TAKE THAT, ADAM SANDLER! YOU JACKASS! |
It’s 1148 local time here in Honolulu. I’m standing outside the State Capitol, waiting to go into the auditorium, with a huge crowd around me. When I came out of the elevator, I was greeted by the sight of dozens of people wearing red standing in a circle, praying. The opposition made themselves easy to spot. They’re mostly older people, although several 20-somethings, a few of them with babies, are in the crowd. Apparently they are all from the same church. I find Josephine, and chat with her while we wait for Don, Alan, Paul, Lance, Jo-Ann, and the rest of the coalition. Don arrives with a roll of gold and green EQUALITY stickers. We proudly put them on our chests, earning dirty looks from the Jesus freaks. At least no one is screaming obscenities at us…yet.
1148: The doors to the auditorium open, and the House Sergeants-at-arms usher the crowd into the gallery. We take our seats in the center column of benches, our little stickers drowning in a sea of red hate on either side of us. One of them, a man with a poofy beard wearing a yarmulke and tallit, begins to chant in Hawaiian, and several people raise their clasped hands. I jokingly ask, "Anyone know the words to 'We Shall Overcome'?" Cynical smiles. I wish Rabbi Shaktman were here with us. 1204: Here we go. The Representatives file in, are seated, and Speaker Calvin Say calls the proceedings to order. 1205: Everyone stands, and some sanctimonious ass from New Hope "church" gives the "invocation". Apparently he was invited by House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan, a long time enemy. His "prayer" starts out with a story about how he lost his keys while fishing one day, and after trials and tribulations found them tied to his board shorts. The moral is that god has given him the keys to the kingdom. The prayer (in Jesus' name, of course), contains many pleadings for god to "show the sinners of the world the power of the love of Christ, which they still refuse". Many of us wearing the "Equality" stickers sit down. This isn't a prayer, it's an aural circle-jerk for the red shirts, complete with the proverbial money shot all over our faces. 1209: Roll call 1212: Senate crossover bills are approved, quick recess. We all chat quietly in the gallery. 1225: The recess ends, the Representatives file back in. We hear proceedings for bills relating to public safety, human services, the budget, and taxation. 1238: Here come the judiciary bills. 1239: The opposition regurgitates all the same old arguments we've been hearing for years, and throw out a few new zingers. I thought I'd heard it all, but there were some new levels of stupid reached I'd previously believed unattainable. My favorite was Rep. Gene Ward's attempt to compare same-sex marriage to pork. Apprently this is an apt analogy since both are forbidden by the Old Testament, but pork would never be accepted as "the new miracle food" by the Jews, just like gay marriage will never be accepted by Christians. Hannah and I exchange looks of disbelief and gigglesnort. In front of me, Lance shakes his head. I text this little analogy to my Beloved, who responds, "Queer: the other other OTHER white meat?" I try not to laugh aloud. Despite Speaker Say's verbal smackdown, Rep. Ward manages to be recognized twice. The red shirts applaud and scream each time he speaks, leading to Speaker Say pounding with the gavel, demanding order and decorum from the gallery. Everyone remains silent for the rest of the proceedings. Rep. Lynn Finnegan gives a sweet little homily (gag) about the oh-so-painful decision she had to make to oppose the civil unions bill despite her love for her dear departed lesbian sister, who passed away from cancer and is surely looking down on her saying, "Lynn, I love you all the same." I honestly don't understand how people can treat their own family members as less than human, let alone a legislator who has power over the laws governing his or her family's rights as a citizen. It baffles me. There's a disconnect in such minds that is beyond my capability to even begin to fathom. And finally, a plea from a Rep. who got a barrage of last-minute phone calls from people begging her, "Don't discriminate against Christians by voting for this bill." If anyone can explain that logic to me, please do so. I've tried really hard, but my grasp on reality is too strong to bend in that many directions at once. 1302: The votes are tallied. Reps. Aquino, Awana, Ching, Choy, Evans, Finnegan, Har, Ito, Magaoay, Manahan, McKelvey, Mizuno, Pine, Sagum, Tokioka, Ward, Yamane vote no (17) and Representative Takai excused himself. Everyone files out into the courtyard eventually. There is no sense of celebration, only a long exhale, and a sense of weariness at the battle ahead of us in the State Senate. Stay tuned for the next chapter of our saga here in Paradise. |
