Subject: Letter to the Editor
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 96 20:09:00 EST

Aloha to the Editor:

     It is very possible that the Hawaii Supreme Court will be granting
full-fledged marriage rights for gays and lesbians sometime in 1997.  If this
happens, the next step will be for mainland gay/lesbian couples to travel to
Hawaii, get married, then return home to challenge state laws which deny them
equal treatment under the law.  The excitement toward this historic decision
is infectious.  Our community is finally realizing that legal same-gender
marriage is a pivotal step to leaving our second-class citizenship behind.
     Now for some sobering news; legal same-gender marriage is in jeopardy.
Since November of last year, mainland organized religious groups have been
funneling tons of money to our local opponents.  With this money, our
adversaries have hired a slick media communications company to coordinate a
local media blitz.  Everyday, Hawaii residents are exposed to an enormous
mis-information campaign about gays, lesbians, and same-gender marriage.  Our
opponents are winning, they have vastly outspent the Hawaii Equal Rights
Marriage Project (h.e.r.m.p.), and polls show that presently a slight majority
of local voters support amending the Hawaii constitution to ban same-gender
marriage.  Most Hawaii law makers, always accommodating the majority opinion
during an election year, are pushing for this amendment.
     It is imperative that h.e.r.m.p. mount a media campaign of equal
magnitude to educate local residents.  The infrastructure for such an
operation is already in place, but legal fees have depleted h.e.r.m.p.'s
resources and there is no money left to make media purchases.  All of the
national gay/lesbian rights organizations have endorsed h.e.r.m.p., however,
almost none of them have contributed financially.
     If we loose on marriage here in Hawaii, civil marriage for gay/lesbian
people will probably not become a reality for a long in any state.  Make no
mistake - we can win this.  Please help us with a non-tax deductible
contribution to pay for our media campaign.  We are an all volunteer
organization and 100% of your contribution will purchase media.  Please send
us a check for as much as you can afford, made payable to Friends of
h.e.r.m.p., P.O. Box 11690, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96828.  

Mahalo, 

Mark Breda
Media Chair
h.e.r.m.p. Steering Committee

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  --Margaret Mead