Ka Leo Hana - Spring 1999: Membership Survey on Domestic Partnerships

Winter 1998

Spring 1999

Fall 1999

President's Message
Vote by Mail Study
State League Convention
High Cost of the Initiative Process
Legislative Reports
Local League News - Hawaii County (Marian Wilkins)
Local League News - Honolulu (Grace Furukawa)
Local League News - Kauai County (Carol Bain)
Council '99
Membership Survey on Domestic Partnerships
Education Committee Report (Mary Anne Raywid)
Education Bills
League Office Now Wired
Millennium Young People's Conference
PLCO-Hawaii Still Recruiting
Proposed LWV Budget FY 1999-2000

Membership Survey on Domestic Partnerships

In our survey on League action on the issue of domestic partnership for gays and lesbians, the response was nearly unanimous in favor of support for legislation to recognize such an arrangement.

While we received only about 2 dozen written responses from Honolulu and other local Leagues, (some members did send their responses directly to their local League president), telephone surveys conducted by Honolulu and Kauai Leagues showed overwhelming support.

Kauai League was especially active in discussing this issue as reported in the last Ka Leo 0 Hana, insisting on parental rights for gays and lesbians. However, following a call to Carol Bain, vice-president of Kauai League, that insisting on parental rights this session might effectively kill any chances of a domestic partnership bill being enacted, their follow-up survey had the membership agreeing that they could support a bill that left out parental rights for now.

A sizable group, however, insisted that the wording of any legislation should be equal in its application - if adoption was to be prohibited for non-married same-sex couples, then adoption should be prohibited for non-married opposite-sex couples.
The following are some of the comments we received on the survey sheets.

"I agree with the Kauai League, except if the majority of the gay community decide they'd rather ride in the back of the bus than not get there at all, I don't think we should ignore their wishes."

"I agree with Kauai League re backing a domestic partnership bill only if equality with marriage rights is achieved, including child parenting rights. "

"In my professional opinion, gay parents are not fit to raise normal children."

"'Marriage' which is a Christian sacrament should he removed from state sanction. Everyone should he granted a 'domestic partnership'."

"I am very glad to see the League taking action for gay rights."

The League supports minority participation in civic life. Marriage/domestic partnerships are obviously part of civic life since legislation ballots are used to make decisions about them."

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