Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 16:06:11 -1000 From: lambda@aloha.net (Martin Rice) Subject: SB 528: SAME-SEX ISSUE WEIGHS ON DEMOCRAT VOTE Aloha auwinala kakou. There's alot of "news" in this article. Please also note for Hawai`i's registered BTLG Democrats: It is exremely urgent that you get to this Saturday's party caucuses and get elected to become delegates to the state convention. Caucuses start promptly at 10am, you must be present at that time. Call 536-2258 (on O`ahu and other neighbor islands) if you are unsure where the party caususes for your precinct will be held. On Kaua`i, call 822-7171. BTW, before I forget. Happy Girl's Day! HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN P.O. Box 3080 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96802 editor@starbulletin.com March 3, 1998 SAME-SEX ISSUE WEIGHS ON DEMOCRAT VOTE Some party members fear the controversy will ignite if Gill runs for chairman By Mike Yuen Star-Bulletin [Insert: Lobbying war chests Here's what political action committees for or against a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage have in their coffers, according to the most current state campaign spending reports: AGAINST Protect Our Constitution: $13,174 Protect Our Constitution/Human Rights Campaign: not available FOR Save Traditional Marriage-'98: $53,285 Alliance for Traditional Marriage: $8 end insert.] The emotionally charged issue of same-sex marriage is once more becoming intertwined with an internal state Democratic Party election, and this time it is leaving isle Republicans delighted and some Democrats concerned. Central to this drama is former Lt. Gov. Tom Gill if, as expected, Marilyn Bornhorst steps down as party leadef at the state convention in May. Gill, as chairman of the state Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law, was part of the 5-2 majority that recommended that same-sex couples be allowed to marry. Now, Gill is heading a local political action committee, Protect Our Constitution, that has been organized to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriages that will be on November's ballot. Unlike the contest of Democratic national committeewoman in 1996 in which same-sex marriage backer Amy Agbayani unseated incumbent Linda Rosehill, who's been leading the lobbying effort against homosexual unions, Gill said he does not see his probably candidacy for party chairman turning into a refernedum on same-sex marriage. "I've been tied to that issue with the commission, so what's new? The two issues (the party chairmanship and lobbying against the same-sex marriage ban) are not related to each other," Gill insisted. "If I become party chair, I've told (organizers of Protect Our Constitution) that I would resign." But Republicans and some moderate Democrats believe the the 29,000-member Democratic Party could be hurt if Gill, as chairman, is preceived as a spearhead for same-sex marriage. "As a former Republican Party chairman," said attorney Jared Jossem, "I think for either party to take an extreme position on the issue risks substantial voter alienation. If Tom Gill is for gay marriage and he becomes chairman of the Democratic Party, it is going to be good news for Republican candidates." State Rep. Gene Ward (R, Hahai`one Valley) said Gill as the Democratic Party's leader would show that the party is increasingly under the control of its liberal wing and increasingly out of step with the public. Democratic state Rep. Romy Cachola of Kalihi said: "The test will be how he acts if he's Democratic Party chair. If he is going to influence the Democratic Party to take a stand as part of its platform in opposition to the ban on same-sex marriage, I think he will be hurting the party. It will be divisive not only to members of the Legislature, but also to the public." It's unclear at this stage if a Gill candidacy would face any opposition. Moderate Democrats are searching for a candidate. Retired state appellate Judge Walter Heen, who last year co-authored a stinging essay that led to the state's probe of the Bishop Estate, has confirmed that he has been approached about running. Democrats are holding precinct caucuses Saturday to select state convention delegates, who, in turn, will elect the party chairman. Protect Our Constitution/Human Rights Campaign, an affiliated PAC, has been formed by the Human Rights Campaign of Washington, D.C., one of the nation's largest gay-rights organizations. The PACs are intended to be counterweights to isle PACs opposing same-sex marriage, such as Save Traditional Marriage-'98 and the Alliance for Traditional Marriage. Gay-rights advocates asked for the campaign's assistance since the proposed constitutional amendment is a serious threat to limit the civil rights of a particular group of people, said David Smith, Human Rights Campaign spokesman. "The issue that the people of Hawai`i want to focus on is the economy. It's sad that we have to defend ourselves from this attack," added Smith, who is gay. The campaign coordinator for Gill's PAC is former state House Vice Speaker Jackie Young, a Democrat whose bid for a state Senate seat in 1996 was thwarted when Senate Republican leader Whitney Anderson of Kailua repeatedly stressed his opposition to homosexual marriages in the final weeks of the campaign. "I saw what happened in my race," Young said. "I saw what happened to Len Pepper, Jim Shon and Devon Nekoba (Democratic representatives who were defeated in 1996). This is a threat to Hawai`i, the aloha state, where a constitutional amendment would erode the Constitution." ~~pau~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FINALLY, THEY FIGURE IT OUT "The high court ruled that denying any group of citizens equal rights was unconstitutional. The point is, any law that takes away the rights of one group could . . . threaten to deny you and me our freedom too." --John Whitehead, founder and president of the Rutherford Institute, writing on Colorado's Amendment 2 ~~~~~~ Fred and Martin, 25 years, yet strangers before all but 18.8% of the law. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~