Date: Fri, 13 Sep 96 10:50:45 HST From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey) Subject: HAWAII, SEPT. 13 DAY 3 OF THE TRIAL, BAEHR V. MIIKE The state's third witness was so bad that I'm practically speechless. He was an academic from BYU who was called upon by the State of Hawaii as an expert witness to criticize social studies to be presented by the plaintiff couples next week. These social studies show, for example, that lesbian parenting is no worse than heterosexual parenting (and may be better in some respects). This BYU witness was supposed to discredit these studies in advance, as an expert psychologist. Under cross-examination, he admitted to not believing in psychology nor any social science, nor did he believe that science had established evolutionary theory. As a Mormon, he no doubt believes in a very particular religion. I can't believe the state is paying up $300 an hour for this kind of testimony. I'm embarrassed, ashamed, and furious. h.e.r.m.p on the other hand is alone in paying 90% of the court case (LLDEF covers the rest, and Evan Wolfson's work). Right now, we owe $19,000 (August work). We expect to owe $50,000 by Sept. 30. None of that will be paid by national organizations---they've said "no" many times ("now is not the time for marriage", etc.). And they have discouraged big donors in all states (including Hawaii) from supporting us ("now is not the time ....."). Let us not argue with their priorities. Rather, get down to work (and write a check if you can). The dollar is the second most powerful vote (next to the ballot itself). Best regards, Tom Ramsey h.e.r.m.p Co-Coordinator SEE ALSO: http://www.xq.com/hermp/ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/hermp/ http://www.tnight.com/hermp/ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/hawaii/marriage.update/ http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/solcvr.html http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/legal/ http://nether.net/~rod/html/sub/marriage.html http://www.well.com/user/davadam/hermp.html http://www.eskimo.com/~demian/partners.html The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, h.e.r.m.p, is the sole support of the work of Dan Foley on Baehr v. Miike. Please be generous in support of h.e.r.m.p; Hawaii is a small state! Donations to h.e.r.m.p are fully tax-deductible, and should be made out to GLCC-HERMP 1521 Alexander Street, #503 Honolulu, HI 96822. The h.e.r.m.p 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 Date: Fri, 13 Sep 96 17:58:53 HST From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey) Subject: HAWAII, Sept.13 II DAY 4 OF THE TRIAL, BAEHR V. MIIKE The state's fourth witness was a Hawaii psychologist. He testified that there are not enough studies to show the true quality of parenting by same-gender couples. Dan Foley cross-examined him. The witness had not conducted any such studies, and had never been an expert witness before. Foley asked, in reference to inter-racial marriage, should legal permission have awaited studies of the quality of parenting by inter-racial couples? Deputy A.G. Eichor objected to the question. Foley argued that the question was legitimate, because the Hawaii Supreme Court in 1993 drew explicit analogies between same-gender marriages and inter-racial marriages. Judge Chang permitted the question. The state's witness responded that we should not have held up inter-racial marriages to wait for such studies. The testimony and cross-examination finished before lunch. Deputy A.G. Eichor made extremely prejudiced remarks to the press of the "what's next" variety---will society be forced to permit incest? Will polygamy be made legal? The press gleefully quoted him. Lost in the noise is the strong evidence that Eichor has not read the original Baehr v. Lewin 1993 decision by Hawaii's Supreme Court. In it, there is an explicit footnote that the 1993 decision in no way would permit polygamy, incest, bestiality, etc. Nor would it permit marrying a table, as was a favorite example of the political religious extremists at numerous legislative hearings in Hawaii over the past three years. Best regards, Tom Ramsey h.e.r.m.p Co-Coordinator SEE ALSO: http://www.xq.com/hermp/ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/hermp/ http://www.tnight.com/hermp/ http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/hawaii/marriage.update/ http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/solcvr.html http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/legal/ http://nether.net/~rod/html/sub/marriage.html http://www.well.com/user/davadam/hermp.html http://www.eskimo.com/~demian/partners.html The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, h.e.r.m.p, is the sole support of the work of Dan Foley on Baehr v. Miike. Please be generous in support of h.e.r.m.p; Hawaii is a small state! Donations to h.e.r.m.p are fully tax-deductible, and should be made out to GLCC-HERMP 1521 Alexander Street, #503 Honolulu, HI 96822. The h.e.r.m.p 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