Pat Gozemba On February 23rd, Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) signed the civil unions bill for his state. Karen Kahn and I, who are married in Massachusetts, now feel as if we can move to Hawai’i one day and be protected with the same rights and benefits as all other married couples in Hawai’i. “For me, [...]

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Pat Gozemba Would like you all to check out the FreeCatholic808 blog of my friend and ally, Dawn Webster. Here is one of her recent blogs on a “local girl,” Connie Florez–a long time LGBT activist. Let Love Prevail February 9, 2011 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. John [...]

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by Pat Gozemba Testimony that I submitted to the Hawai’i House Judiciary Committee for its Feb. 8, 2011 hearing: Civil Unions in Hawai’i Understanding the Massachusetts Experience To: Members of the House and Senate, Hawai’i State Legislature, considering civil unions legislation (SB 232, SB 231, HB 1244, and HB 1453) From: Patricia A. Gozemba, co-author [...]

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Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie nominated Hawaii’s Chief Family Court Judge, Sabrina McKenna, for an open seat on the Hawaii Supreme Court. McKenna, well-known in the 1970s as a University of Hawaii basketball star has accomplished an equally stellar record in the courts of the judiciary. What’s powerful to me is that McKenna has busted open [...]

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It will take some pushing but with the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, LGBT rights activists have a golden opportunity to expand our struggle for equality. Specifically, I’m concerned about how married LGBT couples will access all of the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples. Will LGBT service members stationed in Massachusetts or [...]

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The LGBT civil rights movement in Hawaii has constantly been blocked by Christian evangelicals and the Catholic Church. This unholy alliance that prevents LGBT people from full citizenship is being unmasked by courageous faith leaders who take the risk of speaking truth to power in this small island community. In a culture where “the nail [...]

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Pat Gozemba On January 22nd, when opponents of civil unions wore white to the Hawai’i State Capitol to symbolize their opposition to our civil rights, a brave senator also wore white. Suzanne King of Equality Hawai’i (l) and Senator Michele Kidani (D) Senator Kidani took the brave step of introducing an important amendment to HB444 [...]

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Pat Gozemba Yesterday at the Hawai’i State Capitol we celebrated a Senate vote of 18-7 in favor of civil unions. There is some irony in the celebration because in 1993 Justice Steven Levinson, writing for the majority, ruled in Baehr v. Lewin that same-sex couples should not be denied marriage equality. But yesterday, 16 years [...]

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Pat Gozemba Jerry Sanders, the Republican mayor of San Diego, has testified in the Prop 8 federal court case in support of marriage equality.  Sanders stunned the nation two years ago when he came out in favor of marriage equality. Now, according to the Bay Area Reporter, he has taken another bold step and added [...]

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by Pat Gozemba Karen Ocamb wrote an insightful and very instructional piece, “Federal Challenge to Prop 8 Hearing Today,” in LGBT.POV. Ocamb is focused on the Ted Olson and David Boies federal suit on behalf of Americans for Equal Rights. They have set out to prove the unconstitutionality of Prop 8. Ocamb gives important context [...]

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