Civil unions in Hawaii

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In 1997, the state of Hawaii has offered reciprocal beneficiary registration for any adults who are prohibited by state law from marrying, including same-sex couples. See : Domestic partnership in Hawaii.

In 1998, a ballot has agreed a constitutionnal amendment which says " The legislature shall have the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples " , backing thus the 1997 law denying marriage to same sex couples. See : Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 (1998)

In 2007, a new development arises : a bill trying to afford civil unions to Hawaiians but the representattives killed the proposal by declining to vote on the legislation.

Same-sex civil unions

Recognized nationwide in:

Denmark (1989) | Norway (1993)

Israel1 (1994) | Sweden (1995)

Greenland (1996) | Hungary1 (1996)

Iceland (1996) | France (1999)

Germany (2001) | Portugal (2001)

Finland (2002) | Croatia1 (2003)

Austria1 (2003) | Luxembourg (2004)

New Zealand (2005) | United Kingdom (2005)

Andorra (2005) | Czech Republic (2006)

Slovenia (2006) | Switzerland (2007)

Colombia (2007)

Was recognized before legalization of same-sex marriage in:

Netherlands (nationwide) (1998)

Spain (12 of 17 communities) (1998)

South Africa2 (1999)

Belgium (nationwide) (2000)

Canada (QC, NS and MB)3 (2001)

Recognized in some regions in:

United States (6 states+DC) (1997) : CA, CT, HI, ME, NJ, VE

Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rio Negro) (2003)

Australia (Tasmania) (2004)

Italy (Some municipallies) (2004)

Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) (2004)

Mexico (Mexico City and Coahuila) (2007)

Recognition debated in:

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Brazil

Chile

Costa Rica

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Liechtenstein

Mexico

Poland

Taiwan

United States

Uruguay

Notes:

1 - In form of unregistered cohabitation.

2 - Explicitly referred to as the "civil unions Act" in South Africa.

3 - Explicitly referred to as "civil unions" in Quebec (2002), and called "domestic partnership" in Nova Scotia (2001). In Manitoba (2002) and marriage extended to same-sex partners nationwide (2005).

See also

Same-sex marriage

Registered partnership

Domestic partnership

Common-law marriage

Marriage, unions and partnerships by country

Homosexuality laws of the world

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[edit] New developments in Hawaii

See : Domestic partnership in Hawaii.

On February 27, 2007, a legislation to legalize civil unions has received its public hearing in the Hawaii State Legislature on the evening. The bill is written by local LGBT civil rights activist Bill Woods-Bateman. GLBT community leaders had been building major support for this bill and were hopeful it would have become law this 2007 year.

Short history :
The idea of civil unions has the support of Debi Hartmann, former director of Hawaii Future Today who led the 1998 campaign to ban gay marriage, about which she hasn't changed her mind. Woods-Bateman and Hartmann had "educational" meetings about it in the past. But Hartmann started finding out that reciprocal benefits had not been the answer and among other things, kids were the least protected as she told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on January 28, 2007. The newspaper endorses the bill in an editorial on January 30, 2007

But after the hearing in Hawaii House Judiciary Committee, the Hawaii state representatives declined to vote on the subject, killing so the bill project.

[edit] External links

• Hawaii State Dept. of Health "About Reciprocal Beneficiary Relationships"

• "Former gay union foe now lobbying for equality - Activist hopes to see civil unions enacted in Hawaii"

• www.365gay.com - Hawaii Civil Union Bill Heads To Committee

• www.365gay.com - Hawaii Lawmakers Kill Civil Unions Bill

[edit] See also

• Same-sex marriage in the United States
• Same-sex marriage in the United States public opinion
• Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States
• Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States by state
• Same-sex marriage status in the United States by state
• List of benefits of marriage in the United States
• Defense of Marriage Act
• Marriage Protection Act
• Defense of marriage amendment
• Federal Marriage Amendment
• Domestic partnerships in the United States
• Freedom to Marry Coalition
• History of civil marriage in the U.S.

Same-sex marriage in the United States This box: view • talk • edit

Legalized: Massachusetts Law proposed: Connecticut - Illinois - Maine - New Jersey - New York - Rhode Island  Civil unions permitted: Connecticut - New Jersey - Vermont  Domestic partnerships permitted: California - District of Columbia - Hawaii - Maine Prohibited by statute: Arizona - Connecticut - Delaware - Florida - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Maryland - Minnesota - New Hampshire - New York - North Carolina - Pennsylvania - Puerto Rico - Washington - West Virginia - Wyoming Prohibited by constitutional amendment: Alabama - Alaska - Arkansas - Colorado - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana - Michigan - Mississippi - Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma - Oregon - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee - Texas - Utah - Virginia - Wisconsin Marriage undefined: New Mexico - Rhode Island