Legal News

Hawaii Legalizes Same-Sex Civil Unions

By Nathan Koppel

It seems Neil Abercrombie is out to upstage the state’s native son, Barack Obama.

The prez, of course, announced yesterday that his administration would no longer defend the federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriages.

Abercrombie, meanwhile, yesterday signed into law a bill authorizing same-sex civil unions in Hawaii.

A little one-upsmanship in the Rainbow State? Okay, probably not, but it has been quite a flurry of activity in the last 24 hours.

Under the new Hawaii law, which takes effect Jan. 1, civil unions now have the same legal status as marriage, and bestow the same rights and benefits. Here’s an article on the law from the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

“For me, this bill represents equal rights for everyone in Hawaii — everyone who comes here,” Abercrombie said. “This is, to me, the essence of the aloha spirit.”

Democratic state senator Mike Gabbard called it a “sad day,” stating that the majority of Hawaii residents are opposed to civil unions. “Civil unions is same-sex marriage with a different name,” Gabbard told the Star Advertiser. “The politicians have basically said, ‘To hell with you.’”

Hawaii is the seventh state to grant same-sex couples most of the same rights and benefits of traditional marriage, the Star Advertiser reports.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on February 24, 2011 (boomark / email).