Each new vote brings less notice than the one prior. Forces in opposition have nearly disappeared and many mainline churches have not only endorsed but promoted the practice within the Christian community.
HB 444, which would allow same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples to obtain all of the rights and benefits of legally married couples, was passed by the Hawaii House of Representatives in February 2009 and amended to include opposite-sex couples. Though the bill was passed in the Senate in May 2009, its advancement was stalled after protests, carried over into the 2010 session.
Supporters of traditional marriage say the measure undermines the institution of marriage and the will of the Hawaiian people, who in 1998 voted 70 to 30 percent to affirm marriage as being between a man and a woman.
They say gay civil unions are “same-sex marriage by another name.”
via Hawaiian Senate Vote on Civil Union Bill Expected Friday | Christianpost.com.
Already the issue has turned into a Human Right’s issue since the current ruling in D.C. There is no referendum by the people on the issue because it is not seen as a Human Right. Yes. The tide has turned and little remains to stand in the way of the same-sex marriage in the United States. Soon other marriage related issues will begin to arise.
Thirty-one states have held referendums on whether or not to ban gay marriage, but a Washington, D.C., judge ruled Thursday that such a vote would violate the District’s Human Rights Act.
The ruling upholds a decision by the city’s board of elections, which has twice rejected plans by an anti-gay marriage group to hold a referendum on the subject. City council passed an ordinance in December that allowed gay marriage in the District.