Subject: HAWAII, MAY 15
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 15 May 95 13:05:26 HST

FRONT PAGE, S.F. CHRONICLE
			MONDAY, MAY 15, MORNING EDITION

	Via telephone, I've learned that the San Francisco Chronicle has
a front-page story on the Hawaii marriage case in the morning edition
of May 15.  The story features a photograph of one of the three plaintiff
couples, Ninia Baehr and Genora Dancel.  If someone has a copy of the story,
please post it to the internet!

	A Circuit Court judge has been appointed for the Sept. 25 "compelling
state interest" hearing, Kevin Chang.  Chang is not particularly liberal or
conservative, but he is a careful jurist and a good choice.  It is unusual to
announce the judge so early; often the judge is sometimes not named until a week
before the trial date.  Chang's appointment makes clear that the Hawaii judiciary
takes BAEHR V.  LEWIN very seriously, and fully realizes that the eyes of the
country will be on Honolulu Circuit Court soon.

					Best Regards,

					Tom Ramsey
					Secretary, Steering Committee
					Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project

P.S.  The mailing address for HERMP is GLCC/HERMP
				       1820 University Ave.
				       Honolulu, HI 96822
				       (808)942-3737
				       FAX: (808)926-1000
HERMP is a project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center; donations to HERMP are
needed, and are tax-deductible.  The main number at GLCC is (808)951-7000.
	
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 15 May 95 16:17:05 HST
Subject: HAWAII, MAY 15 ENCORE

			U.S. BRANCH OF SOKA GAKKAI
                    INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION
	           WILL HOLD WEDDINGS OF SAME-SEX COUPLES

	The following report has been sent by Professor Walter L.
Williams of USC:

Dear HERMP members,
I am happy to state that a report I wrote, "Social Acceptance of Same-Sex 
Marriages: Models from Other Cultures," along with letters by others, led 
the USA Central Executive Conference of the Soka Gakkai International 
Buddhist Association to decide to begin holding wedding ceremonies for 
same-sex couples.  This is the largest Buddhist association in the USA.  
Their national newspaper WORLD TRIBUNE (May 5, 1995, p.5) reported that 
SGI-USA General Director Fred Zaitsu said that allowing marriages for all 
Buddhists regardless of sexual orientation reflects the Buddhist "spirit 
of non-discrimination and equality.  I believe we have made great 
progress toward making our organization more humanistic."

Thanks to all those SGI members who wrote in to support this report.  
Step by step, we make progress.
Best regards,

Walter L. Williams
Professor of Anthropology
University of Southern California
Los Angeles CA 90089-0032

					Thanks!!!!!!

					Tom Ramsey, Secretary
					Steering Committee
					Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project