The Flint Hills Observer
May1997

She Speaks
by Deb Taylor

The homophobes won out in Hawaii last month when both houses of the Hawaii legislature approved a constitutional amendment that would expand the power of state lawmakers to restrict marriages to opposite-sex couples. What happens next is that the amendment will be put on a statewide ballot, which could be held as early as November 1998. If Hawaiians vote to adopt the amendment, lawmakers could pass a law restricting marriages to opposite-sex couples, but not until the 1999 session. Therefore, say some, there could be a "window" of opportunity for gay marriage licenses to be issued. Hawaii's Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case again in June of this year. Who knows if it will grant same-sex marriage or buckle under the hateful pressure of the God-loving Christians.

The American Civil Liberties Union condemned the vote of both Hawaiian houses, saying the amendment "would diminish the independence of the courts and rewrite the state's constitution to relegate lesbians and gay men in Hawaiians to second-class citizens." Of course, the lawmakers also passed a bill granting lesbian and gay couples a portion of the benefits available to married couples, but it falls short of coming anywhere near benefits afforded to married couples. As Matt Coles of the ACLU noted, "Lesser rights do not add up to equal rights."

The next course of action for Hawaiians is education, education, education. And it needs to come from Hawaii, the mainland, and all of us. I feel sorry for the queer activists in Hawaii; they have another eighteen months of VERY INTENSE work ahead of them. I wonder if they'll be able to hold out?

And what do they have to expect from the homophobes? Quite a bit of hate-mongering. Mike Gabbard, Chairman of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage in Hawaii, stated in a recent article that "legalizing 'gay marriage' is an attack by homosexual activists and their supporters on the moral foundations of this country." Gabbard warned Hawaiians that "legally sanctioning so-called 'homosexual marriage' is a blatant attempt to normalize homosexual behavior, to change the hearts and minds of the American people so that we will not just tolerate but accept homosexuality as normal and natural." He also warned them that queers "will call us homophobes, hatemongers and bigots. They will do everything within their power to confuse the public into thinking that gays are a persecuted, oppressed minority worthy of special legal protection." He admonished Hawaii to not believe everything they hear, and to remember that the "gays" are the ones who started the whole craziness in Hawaii. In short, Gabbard was encouraging Hawaiians to hold steadfast to their homophobia.

What a mess. And what a terrible statement on our nation. Doesn't it seem strange that a group of people can actually get away with making false statements like "gays are not oppressed"? Are we being THAT silent about our subjugation, and are those who oppose us THAT ignorant of our plight?

Many things amaze me. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled in May 1993 that the state's ban on same-gender marriages may violate the equal protection guarantee of the Hawaii Constitution. Now, because of the court's ruling, anti-gay leaders and homophobes are saying that the courts shouldn't decide on these issues: deciding who should marry whom should be left to the legislation and the public. WHAT? And these statements are coming from the people who used to say "let the courts decide" and "we need less government intervention."

I worry about a nation that will usurp the authority of the courts because it disagrees with court decisions. Why even have a court? Why have justice? Why not merely put ALL decisions up to a vote and then let the citizenry vote its biases?

I also worry about our inability to reach these people and educate them to the point that they actually "get it."  Somehow, some way, we need to do a better job of educating people around us. Hawaii is proof that our silence is killing us. We need to educate people every single time same-sex marriage is mentioned, and every time an anti-gay slur is spoken. This won't change the masses overnight, but it's start.

We also need to get over our own feelings of shame towards homosexuality and bisexuality. I know that comfort with sexuality is a process that takes time. Still, I am glad for the Marlenes and Gregs who bring joy and honesty and self-confidence as openly queer teachers. I am glad for the BGLS officers who are becoming confident leaders committed to helping other queer students. My hope is that, as a queer community, we are processing ourselves and are working through our shame and fear and questions. I'm not certain we have time for procrastination and denial. Time is running out.