Need some help, and ideas for my state

[KonaKane]

As you may have heard - Aloha is a little sick these days in Hawaii as our Republican "family values" governor vetoed a civil unions bill (HB444), now throwing it to a public vote a la California's Proposition 8. This is, understandably, exploding into a huge issue here now that is bringing the drooling bigots out of the woodwork and also a looming Gay boycott of the state's tourism industry (a possible 64 billion dollar shortfall in an economy that just started showing signs of recovery). I can see this spilling over into violence. Not good.

Let me add a post I saw on a local forum, discussing the issue. One person (anonymous of course) was so irate at the thought of a boycott of the tourism industry here that they said they would go around their town and identify Gay owned businesses post signs saying they are and encourage passersby to boycott them in retaliation.

I posted asking him if he is even aware of the horrible historical precedence of what he is suggesting, and he is just ignoring me. I really could barely believe my eyes as I read what he suggested.

So....to all the brilliant minds here, how can those who support GLBT rights in Hawaii best organize and pull together for a desirable outcome to this contentious issue? I want ideas that I can spread around here and maybe help act on myself.

This is such a beautiful place. To be tarnished with hate like this is something I can hardly stand. Thanks for any and all your help.


Mahalo nui loa.

[KonaKane]

1. bump....this is important.

...

[SargeUNN]

2. Hate is the American Way these days I fear

guess it will get a lot worse before it starts to turn around.

[RKP5637]

3. Sadly, the US is becoming hate, bigot and ignorance central. Freedom means

for the choose RW, the perfect Americans, the rest of us are supposed to go to hell. I guess this isn't very helpful, sorry.

[noamnety]

4. I would support the boycott

and report the threats to the appropriate authorities. Campaign for the correct side of the vote on the proposition. And make sure that in your own rhetoric, you aren't incorporating gay bashing and implying they are to blame for things when they are in fact the victims.

[KonaKane]

5. OK thanks, I think....

Did you see gay bashing nestled in my rhetoric, or am I being overly sensitive?

[njalbertini]

6. Get the people to vote for intelligent representatives

www.electexperts.webs.com

[KonaKane]

11. Great site, great idea! Thank you.

Of course I can already hear the hue and cry "elitist!!" swelling up, but I'll try to ignore it....

[foxfeet]

7. Follow the money.

I'm guessing at least the Mormons have a dirty finger in this pie.

Point out that the human rights of minorities NEVER should be subjected to a majority vote.

Also point out that the opposition has, yet again, moved the goalposts. Civil unions are NOT equivalent to marriage, no matter what Lingle says. LGBT people are told that we can't have marriage (because heterosexual people are just superior, dontcha know); as soon as we settle for civil unions, the goalposts are moved and we are told we can't have civil unions either.

I love Hawai'i and (most of) its people and will be sorry to boycott its tourist industry, but boycott I will.

[KonaKane]

8. Thank you. And I should point out...

at the risk of raising that dragon again, that the absymal lack of civics knowledge is showing in the bigots. They cannot wrap their minds around the fact that voting on the civil rights of a minority violates the very underpinning of our system. They also have no idea what you are talking about when you bring up "certain inalienable rights" "the right to pursue happiness" or gods forbid the equal protection clause.

And worst of all? They are under this weird idea that Gay people have to "deserve" their civil rights....that they are not ours by birthright. Weird.

[Octafish]

9. Remind everybody on the islands that we are ALL brothers and sisters.

Treat other people like you'd like to be treated. Good people are not solipsists. They follow the Golden Rule.

All are brothers and sisters -- straight, gay, etc. etc. That shopkeeper is my sister or brother. That visitor is my sister or brother.

So, no matter who you are or where you're from... you are family and welcome.

[KonaKane]

10. THAT'S the idea of aloha....which seems to be fleeing to the corners right now

Alot, probably all, of the loudest bigots here are transplants from the mainland who haven't aquainted themselves enough with the concept, I have found.

[KonaKane]

12. It's odd, I would have thought the GLBT community on DU would be all over this one...

It is a fight every bit as important as the recent DOMA court decision (which will now provide precedence for a court challenge here in Hawaii) and is very much front and center when it comes to the greater national battle to recognize GLBT rights.

Yet, like the story posted about the Gay Pastor and his mate being beaten, it is largely ignored.

Things that make you go HMMMMMMMMM.....

[Prism]

16. I have an odd suspicion it's not the stories that are being ignored.

Crazy hunch on my part, though.

[NJmaverick]

13. Get the Republicans out of office

[KonaKane]

14. we have a start. At least Dingle Lingle cannot run again.

She was an unmitigated disaster for Hawaii. While I have my reservations about Abercrombie, he is the best hope on the horizon right now to replace her.

The strange thing about Hawaii is that homosexuality was widely accepted in ancient Polynesian culture. The "Mahu" (Gay person) was even celebrated as part of the community. What we are dealing with today is the unfortunate lingering Puritanism of the first island missionaries. That stuff dies hard.

[AnArmyVeteran]

15. Those missionaries stained the islands with their shame & guilt...

Missionaries took an innocent and beautiful culture and defiled it with the ugliness of their religion, teaching Hawaiians shame and guilt. Early Hawaiians celebrated their beautiful nakedness and felt free until missionaries taught them how to supress their true spirits by equating their behaviors to the ugliness of 'sin'. What a sad legacy those missionaries left for all the future generations of Hawaiians and all other indigenous peoples around the world. Now one white, republican governor rejected the wills of Hawaii's governing body with a veto saying no decision should be left to just one person, but that is exactly what she is guilty of by rejecting the representatives of the people because of her own archaic religious beliefs.

Almost every election in America is tainted by the corrupting influence money has over the true will of the people. How else could a mostly liberal state be saddled with the likes of such a bigoted republican governor?