Hawaii Gov. Signs Civil Unions Bill

By Advocate.com Editors
Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie signed legislation Wednesday afternoon legalizing civil unions in the Aloha state.

The state senate passed the bill last week by an 18-5 vote. A similar bill was approved by the legislature in 2010 but vetoed by then-Gov. Linda Lingle after a long waiting period.

"This signing today of this measure says to all in the world that all are welcome – that everyone is a brother and a sister in paradise," Abercrombie said at the bill's signing.

"For me, this bill represents equal rights for everyone in Hawaii and everyone who comes here. This is for me the essence of the aloha spirit."

The governor spent about 10 minutes speaking before signing the bill, joking around with people in the audience and making clear this is an important bill for him.

"With its signing, I wanted to say, 'Welcome to the world. Welcome to paradise.'"

Civil unions aren't expected to go into effect until January 1, 2012.

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Hawaii Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Approved By State Legislature

HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an "emotional process" for a longtime battleground in the gay rights movement.

Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie's office said he intends to sign the bill into law within 10 business days. Civil unions would begin Jan. 1, 2012, making the state the seventh in the nation to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.  Read more here...

Hawaii Appoints Openly Lesbian Judge Sabrina McKenna to its Supreme Court

by SheWired Editors

Sabrina McKenna was confirmed to the Hawaii supreme court Wednesday, making her the first openly gay judge to serve on the state's highest court.

McKenna, 53, was a senior judge on Oahu's family court, according to the Associated Press. She has 16 years of experience in serving the bench.

"This is the most important decision I have made in my career,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said in a statement when he nominated her as an associate justice in January. “This appointment sets the course for the state and its legal direction for the next several years.  I am completely confident that Judge McKenna's appointment will be something I'm proud of for the rest of my life."

McKenna is Abercrombie's first judicial nominee.

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