Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 10:51:21 -1000
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: Hawaii on Nov4

The Legislature SHALL Have 
       The Power To Reserve Marriage
         To Opposite-Sex Couples

69.2%---Yes
28.6%---No
02.0%---Blank
00.2%---Overvote

	Dan Foley, attorney for the three
plaintiff couples who sued in Hawaii to get
marriage licenses, outlined the salvage
operation last night to an enthusiastic
crowd that had lead the fight against this
amendment.
        A)  The amendment does not set aside
            the equal protection aspects of
            Baehr v. Miike.  Foley will fight
            in court to have full rights under
            a term such as "reciprocal beneficiaries"
            or "domestic partnerships."
        B)  A campaign will be mounted to educate
            people in Hawaii about why marriage
            should be an option for gays and lesbians.
            Now that the legislature controls the
            word "marriage", it is necessary to
            educate people to take positive action
            (rather than ask them to simply not
            interfere with the courts, as in voting
            "no" on this amendment).

	A few consolation prizes from this election:
	1.  The people of Hawaii strongly rejected
            a call for a Constitutional Convention.
            This part of our message was really heard
            (don't mess with the Constitution).  The
            voters heard that; they just didn't include
            marriage under that umbrella of protection.
        2.  The religious right lost several key elections.
            The state's best chance for a Republican governor
            (the first in about 40 years) died as a
            moderate candidate (Linda Lingle) lost by 2%
            due to her right-wing running mate (Stan Koki)
            and due to a right-wing congressional candidate
            (Gene Ward) linking his campaign to Lingle's.
        3.  Only a few legislative candidates campaigned for
            a "no" vote on the Constitutional Amendment.  Their
            districts were blanketed with postcards showing
            two men embracing and proclaiming that this is
            what the candidate supported.  All but one of these
            targeted representatives won election.  Six weeks
            ago, a group of "entrenched" politicians, all opponents
            of same-sex marriage, were defeated in the Democratic
            Party primaries.
	4.  One of the dirtiest campaigners, Sam Aiona of
            Makiki, who defeated Jim Shon two years ago by
            running an anti-same sex campaign, was defeated
            by Bryan Schatz.

		Equality Under The Law:  no other position
                will ultimately prevail.

				Tom Ramsey