MEDIA RELEASE

Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii (ACLU) and Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing have announced they have dismissed their lawsuit against the state, following Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s signing civil unions into law last month.

The Hawaii Senate gave final approval to the bill, SB232, which allows same- and different-sex unmarried couples to enter into civil unions, with an 18-5 vote Feb. 16, following the 31-19 approving vote by the House on Feb. 11. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2012.

“I can’t think of many occasions when we’ve been more delighted to dismiss a lawsuit than this,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, National Marriage Project Director for Lambda Legal. “Gov. Abercrombie removed the need for the lawsuit with the stroke of a pen – approving the Legislature’s diligent work and giving thousands of Hawaii families badly needed protection. We look forward to working closely with members of the legal and business communities to make sure the law is implemented smoothly and that everyone knows what their rights and responsibilities will be. And as this new law takes effect, we’ll be watching closely for any signs of problems.”

Civil unions will provide a full range of state law protections and duties to unmarried couples – gay and heterosexual alike – such as access to family court to resolve disputes in an orderly way, clear duties to pay child support and alimony as appropriate, and other vital family protections.

The new law will also honor same-sex couples’ marriages, civil unions and broad domestic partnerships from other states and countries.

Lambda Legal, the ACLU and AHFI filed Young v. Lingle (retitled Young v. Abercrombie following last year’s election) in July 2010, after then-Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed HB444, the previous civil unions bill.

The new civil unions law provides same-sex couples the full range of rights and responsibilities sought in the lawsuit, so there is no need to continue the litigation at this time.

“As we celebrate this accomplishment, we are also reminded that full marriage equality for same-sex couples is the goal. Civil unions are a lesser status than civil marriage, so they can never fully satisfy the government’s constitutional duty to treat everyone equally under the law,” said Laurie Temple, ACLU staff attorney.

“The ACLU and our allies will continue to work towards marriage equality, strengthened by the knowledge that, for now, civil unions will provide much needed protection for couples and their families,” Temple said. “Gov. Abercrombie and the Hawaii Legislature should be commended for acting proactively to ensure treatment of same-sex couples that is closer to equal.”

Clyde Wadsworth, of Alston, Hunt, Floyd & Ing said, “We are glad to see the rainbow of Hawaii history bend closer toward justice with the signing of the civil unions bill.”

Jennifer C. Pizer and Tara Borelli of Lambda Legal’s Western Regional Office in Los Angeles, Lois Perrin, Daniel Gluck and Laurie A. Temple of the ACLU of Hawaii, and Paul Alston, Clyde Wadsworth, and Stephen M. Tannenbaum of the Alston, Hunt, Floyd & Ing law firm have been co-counsel in the case.

As of this date, five states (CT, IA, MA, NH and VT) and the District of Columbia allow same-sex couples to marry. Six states (CA, IL, NV, NJ, OR and WA) offer broad state-law protection through civil union or registered domestic partnership; Hawaii makes it seven.

Five more states (Hawaii plus CO, MD, ME and WI) offer more limited protections through a non-marriage status (enactment of SB232 does not change Hawaii’s reciprocal beneficiaries law).

Others (including at least MD and NY, and probably NM and, for some purposes, RI) respect marriages that same-sex couples entered into in other states.

Consequently, based on population estimates from the 2010 U.S. Census, more than 40 percent of the United States population now resides in a jurisdiction offering same-sex couples at least some form of state-level legal protection.

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

The mission of the ACLU and its Hawaii affiliate is to protect the fundamental freedoms contained in the state and federal constitutions through litigation, legislative and public education programs statewide.

Visit the websites of Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Hawaii for information about civil unions and Hawaii law:

www.lambdalegal.org/publications/factsheets/fs_hawaiis-2011-civil-unions-bills-faqs.html

www.lambdalegal.org/publications/general/pm_the-legal-rights-of-civil-union-partners-in-hi.html

www.lambdalegal.org/protecting-same-sex-relationships

www.lambdalegal.org/publications/factsheets/fs_registering-as-reciprocal-beneficiaries.html

www.lambdalegal.org/hawaii

http://www.acluhawaii.org/news.php?id=408