by Andrew Walden 

The scene at 1PM, a full hour before rally begins.

An estimated 15,000 Hawaii residents rallied Sunday at the Capitol against passage of House Bill 444 which would enact gay civil unions into law.  They were backed by another 500 protesters gathered at the Wailuku State Building on Maui and dozens on Kauai.

Voter registration tables were busy all day.  In addition to registration at the rally, churches across the state are holding voter registration drives.  Hawaii Family Forum Executive Director Dennis Arakaki estimated that 5,000 people registered to vote on Sunday. 

Rally participants wore white.  Thousands also wore red "iVote" buttons.   From the stage, Pastor Alan Cardenas called for "a movement of 200,000 people who sign iVOTE pledge cards and pledge to vote in every election." He urged participants to "vote values, life, family, liberty."

Said Cardenas, "There is no 'Plan B' when it comes to saving the Hawaii family.  You are it.  Hawaii can go from the bottom in voter precipitation to the top."

Duke Aiona, wearing a white shirt in solidarity with the rally, backed the voter registration effort telling rally participants, "Talk to everyone you know and let them know they have to get involved, and the only way is to vote."

Mufi Hannemann denounced "attempts to distort my message in support of traditional marriage....I believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman."  (He may want to get with Elisa Yadao about this.)  Hannemann emphasized that in 1998 was one of three Honolulu councilmen who stood in support of traditional marriage.

The remaining candidate for Hawaii Governor, Rep Neil Abercrombie, is--along with Rep Mazie Hirono--a co-sponsor of HR 3565 which would repeal the Federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Rep John Mizuno announced that he would be introducing a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.  He would also introduce an expanded Reciprocal Beneficiaries bill.

A smattering of counter demonstrators were outnumbered about 1000-1 by rally participants.  One tripped over his own feet while trying to harass Sen Mike Gabbard, a longtime leader of the anti-gay marriage efforts.  Rally participants helped him up and offered him some water.  He responded: "I tripped because I was trying to get away from Gabbard's smell!  And my water is colder than yours!"  He then stalked away carrying a sign reading, "LOVE, TOLERANCE & EQUALITY". 

Good question:  Here's the answser.

---30---

ADV: Thousands gather at state Capitol to oppose civil unions

At St. Clement's Episcopal Church, meanwhile, more than 100 people representing 13 different religious groups came together in support of equal rights for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

"There is a large faith-based group made up of different religions who are in support of equal rights (sic) and the civil-unions bill that will be before the Legislature," said Tambry Young, co-chair of (the mis-named group) Equality Hawai'i, a group working for equal rights to change marriage into something it never has been before.

SB: Scores attend civil-union rally

Arakaki estimated about 15,000 people dressed in white went to the Capitol yesterday, some on their own and many others bused in with church groups.

The turnout was more than last year's traditional-marriage rally that brought 10,000 to 12,000 attendees dressed in red, Arakaki said.

Rep. John Mizuno (D, Kalihi), who was also at the event, said he opposes HB 444 and is introducing a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman and a bill to allow reciprocal benefits for same-sex couples and other family members....

"They're promoting social inequality," said Dave McCaskey, 18, a University of Hawaii student who is not gay. He carried a sign that read, "You can't outlaw LOVE."  (Nobody is proposing to outlaw homosexual acts.  And those who engage in homosexual acts have precisely the same right to marry a member of the opposite sex as enjoyed by those who do not  engage in homosexual acts.  Every word is a twist.)

"They're defining who we are by depriving us of our rights," said Kealoha Kelekolio, 63, of Manoa.  (Really?  Is your life defined by a sex act?  Who created the "homosexual" movement?)

Kamuela Kaahanui, 60, a UH professor, said he was disappointed that they would hold the rally on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on the anniversary of the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani.  (MLK never advocated gay marriage.  In fact nobody had ever conceived of such an idea until years after he was assassinated.)

"If the queen were here, she would ask this question," he said, pointing to a sign reading, "Where's the aloha?"

(So Queen Lilioukalani is now supposed to be a gay marriage supporter?  Gay marriage was not legal under the Hawaiian Kingdom.  In fact nobody had ever conceived of such a thing until the decision written by Hawaii Supreme Court Justice "Broken Trust" Levinson in 1993.)

   *   *   *

Hannemann won't divulge positions on hot issues (9-16-09)

By Herbert A. Sample, Associated Press Writer  (from Delaware Online: THE source for Hawaii News.  Notice how the Advertiser and SB skipped this AP article?  It doesn't fit the Democrat Playbook so it doesn't go in the SB or HA.  Short version is posted at KPUA.) 

HONOLULU — Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who earlier this year raised almost $660,000 for an expected gubernatorial campaign in 2010, refused Monday to disclose his positions on same-gender civil unions, gay marriage and abortion rights.

Hannemann campaign spokeswoman Elisa Yadao was asked to provide the mayor's positions on the three hot-button issues. She responded in an e-mail: "As Mufi is not an official candidate, we are not participating in stories featuring candidates who have announced their intention to run for governor."

"That's a pretty lame defense," said University of Hawaii political scientist Dan Boylan.

  *   *   *

Maui News: Hundreds rally to oppose bill allowing civil unions

WAILUKU - At least 400 members from churches of various denominations turned out for a rally against the civil unions bill at the State Building in Wailuku....

Attendees were asked to fill out an "iVote Commitment Pledge" to encourage their family, friends and fellow churchgoers to pray, spread the word about registering to vote and contacting state legislators to express their support for legislation that upholds traditional family values.

  *   *   *

Kauai Garden Isle: Residents protest HB444 while proponents prep for Wednesday rally

“We’ve heard they’re going to pull it out of committee and vote on it early in the legislative session which starts Wednesday,” said JoAnne Georgi, organizer of the Sunday sign-waving event. “All of this could happen as early as this week and we just want to make people aware of this.”...

About three dozen people, many parishioners from King’s Chapel and New Hope churches, joined Georgi in the demonstration....

  *   *   *

RELATED: Gay Civil Unions Bill passes Senate: Hawaii Family Forum re-focuses on House