Subject: Equal Rights Weekend in Honolulu
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 13:43:37 -0500 (EST)

Equal Rights Weekend in Honolulu
April 18 & 19  1997
Friday April 18:
Lobby Day at the Hawaii Legislature
Saturday April 19:
Rally & Picnic at Ala Moana Park

On January 24th a large anti-gay* rally was held at the Hawaii State Capitol
in Honolulu.  The rally, called by the Catholic Bishop of Hawaii and
organized by Hawai`i's Future Today, was attended by 3500-5000 people, mostly
students, who were bused-in from private Catholic and Mormon schools, from
Mormon church headquarters in Hawaii, and from the BYU Hawaii (Mormon
University) campus.  

Signs and slogans at the rally were hatefully anti-gay and a large group of
the protestors crossed six-lane Beretania Street to harrass and verbally
attack 65 to 70 supporters of same-sex marriage who were picketing there. 

To show support for gay and gay-friendly people in Hawaii, especially for the
brave folks who dared to counter-picket on January 24th, an Equal Rights
Weekend is going to be held in Honolulu on April 18 and 19.  Friday, April
18, will be a day of lobbying.  Gay activists and their friends and families
will be meeting with Hawaii lawmakers - and possibly the Governor - at the
state capitol.   On Saturday April 19, a rally for equal rights and legal
recognition of same-sex relationships will be held at Ala Moana Park.  

The Equal Rights Weekend will be an opportunity to counteract the efforts of
Mormons, Catholics and others who are working to keep gay people from having
full civil rights. Gay activists from around the country are getting
announcements about the event, and gay-friendly clergy and community leaders
are being invited to join us in a show of strength and solidarity. 

The weekend will give people in Hawaii a chance to get to know more about
gay* people and about our fight for equal civil rights. Hopefully the
mainstream Hawaiian media - maybe even the national media - will be
interested in interviewing people who are very personally interested in the
outcome of the Hawaii same-sex marriage case, especially gay Mormons and
their families and friends and gay Catholics and their family and friends.
 The Hawaii legislature will still be in session, so this will be a good
chance for people from around the state and across the country to meet with
legislators to discuss with them issues that are of importance to us.  

This is your opportunity to rally and work for equal rights in the warm,
beautiful setting of Hawaii.  What a wonderful excuse to take a tropical
vacation!  Join us in Honolulu on April 18 and 19 and celebrate with us how
far we've come in the fight for equal rights.  With us, gain strength,
courage and a feeling of solidarity for the struggles ahead.

ALOHA!

*the word Gay is used inclusively: to mean homosexual, bisexual and
transgendered people.

EVENT SPONSORS
(this list will grow)
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Oahu
Gay and Lesbian Education and Advocacy Foundation (GLEA Foundation)
Hawaii Gay Marriage Project

Contact:
Carolyn Martinez Golojuch of GLYS & PFLAG Oahu ([email-masked])
Kathy Worthington, Salt Lake City, of "Kathy's List"  ([email-masked])
    by phone: 801-288-9294   852 W River Trail Ter  # 717  SLC UT 84123

Same-sex Marriage Time Line
1990  Three couples in Hawaii attempt to get marriage licenses but are turned
down
1991  The three couples sued the state for the right to marry
May 1993  The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that denying the three couples
marriage licenses amounted to gender discrimination and violated the state
Constitution's equal protection clause unless the state could show a
compelling state interest in doing so. 
1995  Mormon Church and Catholic Church attempt to affect outcome of same-sex
case.  Mormons ask to take active role in the case, but request is denied.
 Catholics file "friend of the court" brief.
Dec 1996  A Hawaii judge ruled that the state had failed to show a compelling
reason why it should refuse to allow homosexual couples to marry. 
1997  The Hawaii legislature is looking at several ways to try to keep
same-sex marriage from being legalized, including a possible Constitutional
Amendment.