From: KathyWUT@aol.com Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 13:43:37 -0500 (EST) Subject: Equal Rights Weekend in Honolulu 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 (GOCAROLYN@aol.com) Kathy Worthington, Salt Lake City, of "Kathy's List" (KathyWUT@aol.com) 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.