Our other update brings some happy news on a related front. Last week I told you that Hawaii was poised to become the 15th state to recognize same-sex marriage.The update is that it has happened, in fact it happened on the day I recorded the show. Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed the bill on November 13 and couples can start getting married as soon as December 2.
Hawaii has the distinction of sort of initiating the current debate over same-sex marriage. Back in 1993, the state Supreme Court ruled in a suit brought by two women that denying their right to marry denied them the equal protection of the laws. However, the court left it up the the legislature to fix the problem. Instead, that case was part of the prompt for the passage by Congress of the grossly-misnamed "Defense of Marriage Act" in 1996. When part of that was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court earlier this year, Gov. Abercrombie called a special session, leading to the new law and things coming full circle.
Sources:
http://whoviating.blogspot.com/2013/11/1341-good-news-marriage-equality.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57612238/hawaii-becomes-15th-state-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage/
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