Hawaii Moves Closer to Civil Unions

HONOLULU, HI -- A number of bills have been introduced in the Hawaii Legislature recently designed to provide same-sex couples with most of the same legal benefits already available to married couples.

House and Senate Democrats in the overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature are supporting the bills, AP reports.

Sen. Gary Hooser has introduced a bill in the Senate that would let two unrelated people apply for civil union status regardless of each person's gender. Couples in civil unions would have the same benefits and responsibilities as those who are married.

"I personally support the concept of allowing civil unions," Hooser said. "I think it is past time to have the conversation and move the issue forward. We should treat people equally."

The Hawaii Supreme Court was close to permitting same-sex marriages in 1998 but the Legislature then approved a law defining marriage as between two people of opposite sexes.

Legislators say the current proposals could get past the state constitutional prohibition by calling the relationships civil unions.

"This is not marriage," Hooser said.

Rep. Blake Oshiro who is supporting the bill in the House said the bills will "avoid the connotation that this is marriage."

"We shouldn’t be treating people as second-class citizens, especially if we believe in the ideas of tolerance and diversity," Oshiro said.