If you could empower thousands of people, perhaps millions - Would you do it? If you have a few minutes, we could really use your voice, or written word because it could help those thousands of people who have been denied equal rights for too long. The people I'm talking about are - the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Hawaii and beyond. This week, the state senators of Hawaii will be considering a civil unions bill (H.B. 444 HD 1) which passed in the state's house of representatives a week ago. In the local newspaper of Hawaii - The Honolulu Advertiser - the reporter Derrick DePledge explains, "A civil unions bill likely will move forward at the state Legislature despite opposition from one lawmaker who had been seen as holding a crucial vote on the controversial issue." So now, I'm writing to ask for you to contribute to the dialogue.
Aloha! Already, several of us Kossacks have written about this upcoming vote. This morning, raatz wrote an outstanding diary giving ideas about how to contact the senate with your concerns. You can find those ideas by clicking on his name above. Also, in the past, I wrote a diary about this issue Here. However, aside of these dialogues and the passage of the bill in the House, we continue to face an uphill battle from jerks like the guy in the video below. The video below is from Capitol TV Hawaii, and it shows a representative named Gene Ward discussing why Civil Unions are "a threat" to Hawaiians. A threat to marriage? What!? Click below to hear his reasons (if you're so inclined... I myself turned it off because it was depressing to hear so much hate masked as "concerns for straight marriage stability").
Yes, I know, you're probably asking something like - "How do lesbians and gays threaten heterosexual marriage?" I've tried to wrap my brain around that very question, but I can only come to one conclusion. From my perspective, it seems that these conservatives fear the possibility that gay people might actually be recognized as human beings who are worthy of respect. Of course, I don't want to presume that I know what goes on in the minds of conservatives, but the issue remains that the lesbian and gay community in Hawaii are so close to getting more Civil Rights. Yet the possibility remains that the conservatives will pressure the senate into voting no. We can't let that happen. We need your voices. We need to focus our energies to bring democracy and equality to Hawaii.
So if you have a few minutes, and you'd like to help, the LGBT community of Hawaii and its allies would greatly appreciate your thought and aid. We are so close right now because even though the committee holding this bill may not get approval, the senate is trying to bring the bill to the floor because the Democrats know that they are so close to helping the Gays and Lesbians of Hawaii. In his article, the reporter Derrick DePledge explains that there's a good chance of the bill surviving. In particular, he interviewed the senate majority leader Gary Hooser:
Hooser said he believes the support for civil unions by a significant majority in the Senate is sufficient reason to recall the bill [from the deadlocked committee] if necessary. He also said civil unions have been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Hawai'i and by President Obama.
"I fundamentally believe that it's the right thing to do," Hooser said. "This is an issue of civil rights and equal rights. It's about treating people equally. It's about contracts under law. This is not legalizing same-sex marriage."
So as you can see, there's reason for both concern and hope. And interestingly, a part of the reason this bill is surviving is because our President, Mr. Barack Obama, has said he approves of unions! Woo-hoo! Now of course, I know that many people in the LGBTQ community (i.e., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer community) don't think civil unions are worthwhile (because it's viewed as separate and still unequal), but this is still a major step to receiving more rights.
It is a major step toward equal rights, or at least that's my opinion personally. And as someone who is bisexual, and wants to have marriage or a civil union one day, this legislation is important to me (*and thousands more people*). So if you have a minute between now and tomorrow, please contact some of the people in the Hawaiian Senate and tell them you support equality and democracy. It could make a difference and help empower the lives of thousands of people.
So if you're interested, here's the link to that diary with contact information on it (scroll down to the bottom): raatz. Or, you can simply e-mail the Senate Leadership President Colleen Hanabusa at her address: senhanabusa@Capitol.hawaii.gov or the Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser at: senhooser@Capitol.hawaii.gov. Both are Democrats, and I bet they could use some support on this.
Please, if you have a few minutes, help lead this country to democracy and equality. We need your voices and energy to win this. Now more than ever. And I know that some of you may be thinking - "Oh, well one voice like mine won't do that much" but I have to say - YES WE CAN do a lot with just one voice. Look at what we all collectively did during the election this year. We all stood up together and won the presidency for Barack Obama. We all need to stand up again to support equality :)
And as the Hawaiians would say, Mahalo (Thanks!)
UPDATE: My friend just asked me - "What should I write in my letter to the Senate?" And so I wanted to show you a copy of the letter I wrote. Here's a version of it, which has most of my thoughts (below). For your letters and e-mail - All that's important is that you speak from the heart about why equality and democracy are important to you. Here it is:
Dear President Hanabusa and Majority Leader Hooser,
Good evening. Tonight, I'm writing to express my support for the Civil Union Bill, which is currently being considered in your state's Senate (H.B. 444 HD 1). I am writing to ask your support for the bill because for too long in this country, the lesbian and gay community has been denied rights and equal treatment. Although we live in a country that upholds the separation of church and state, there are still people who argue against supporting equal rights for people - solely because gays and lesbians are supposedly "different" from them. As a bisexual person myself, this matter is near to my heart because I hope to one day have a civil union (or marriage) with my long time partner. However, because we live in a state that doesn't offer civil unions, nor same-gender marriage, we are disenfranchised. Now, I recognize that you have multiple considerations, but I ask you to consider one more thought from me.
I ask you to consider the importance of equality and equal rights. Our nation is built on the idea that freedom and democracy are the cornerstones of this nation. Throughout the years, many different groups have fought for equality, starting with Black Americans and women, and also the people of First Nations and also people from Asia and the Pacific Rim. At one time in the past - all these groups were disenfranchised by the U.S. government, but eventually, people realized that denying rights to others (because of their so-called "difference") was the wrong thing to do. For me, and many others, it's immoral and unethical to disenfranchise people based on identity. As our country's own documents suggest - "We are created equal" - but right now, in this country, the lesbian and gay community is still denied their rights and inequality persists. It is a terrible contradiction that many people live. I ask you to consider how this country has triumphed over prejudice and lifted itself up to be more inclusive and egalitarian.
Remember those strides as you consider the importance of this bill. For me and many others, this Civil Union Bill is the most important thing in the world because it could grant rights to people who have unjustly been denied for too long. Please keep this importance in mind. Please keep equality in mind as you work this week. My family and I wholeheartedly support the passing of thie Civil Unions Bill, but we can't do this alone. We need your help. Please help us to win our rights.
Thank you.