Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 17:21:29 HST
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII, FEB 28

	    PAT ROBERTSON'S LEGAL BEAGLE SURFACES IN HAWAII

	Jay Seculo, attorney with ACLJ (Pat Robertson's legal think
tank), filed a motion to intervene in Baehr v. Miike (the court case
to get same-gender marriage in Hawaii, scheduled for August 1---not July),
on behalf of 8 legislators in Hawaii.  His first official act was
in fact a crime---his practice of law is unlawful until the courts
recognize him.  The motion is about 70 pages long; it scolds the governor,
and attacks the Attorney General as "not homophobic enough".  Apparently,
the AG is not irrational enough to satisfy Jay Seculo. 

        Local attorneys working with Jay are Bob Matsumoto (who filed all
the Mormon efforts at intervention in 1995 and 1996) and Marie Sheldon
(who opposed same gender marriage as a member of the Commission on Sexual
Orientation and the Law, and has opposed civil rights for gays on other
issues for the Rutherford Institute).

	The 8 representatives involved are Stegmaier, Swain, Ward,
Abinsay, Cachola, Kahikina, Kanoho and Meyer.  Rep. Ward professed
to the media to be ignorant of what ACLJ is, which is unlikely because
Rep. Ward was Pat Robertson's campaign chair in Hawaii for Robertson's
presidential race.  Interestingly, Abinsay was appointed to his position
by Governor Cayetano; I wonder if he knows how much the legal brief
criticizes the governor. 


					Tom Ramsey
					Co-Coordinator
					Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage
					Project


P.S.  The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, HERMP, is the sole support
of the work of Dan Foley on Baehr v. Lewin (Foley is the attorney who makes
all court appearances on behalf of the plaintiff couples).  Please be generous
in support of HERMP; Hawaii is a small state, and the tiny gay and lesbian
community here is very active in advocacy work which HERMP cannot address.
Donations to HERMP are fully tax-deductible, and should be made out to
                     GLCC-HERMP 
                     1521 Alexander Street, #503
                     Honolulu, HI 96822.
 
      The HERMP branch in Kona, on the Big Island, has produced a T-shirt
for sale.  One can send a check for $17.50 to HERMP, P.O.Box 902, Captain
Cook, HI 96704, together with a note about being sent a T-shirt (S, M, L,
XL, XXL).  It is also available in a tank top.  The design is multi-color
on white.  A large triangle points down, with the letters h.e.r.m.p above
the triangle, some male-male, female-female symbols in the border of the
triangle and some palm trees.  To place an email order for T-shirts, or
to obtain more information, please email skippero@aol.com.  An image of
the T-shirt is available via the WEB on
       http://www.qrd.org/QRD/www/usa/maine/hawaii-tee.html