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Hawaii Governor Embraces Bigotry
Her message to gay Hawaiians: You are morally inferior and therefore undeserving of equal rights
July 7, 2010
Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has chosen to stand with religion-based bigotry and prejudice in her veto of Civil Unions legislation that was passed overwhelmingly by both the Hawaii House and Senate. The Civil Unions legislation would have provided all the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples.
Evangelical leaders and Catholic Bishops pressured Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle to veto Civil Unions legislation that was passed overwhelmingly by both the Hawaii House and Senate.
"By denying rights to same-sex couples afforded to others in Hawaii, Governor Lingle is clearly discriminating against a segment of the population under the state's Constitution,” said Brent Childers, Executive Director of Faith in America. The Hawaii Constitution prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Governor Lingle is pushing for the civil union's legislation to be voted on by the people of Hawaii.
Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith In America, said it is particularly shameful to see a person who is Jewish and a woman side with this kind of discrimination against a minority group.
"For Governor Lingle to suggest that a minority group's rights be voted on by the majority is beyond the pale of decency or common sense”, said Gold. "As a gay man and as a Jew I would ask the Governor, if this were the 1960's would you want your equal rights to be put to a vote by the majority of Americans?”
For too long, religion-based bigotry has been used by anti-gay religious groups to deny gay people the same rights afforded to heterosexuals. "This uniquely harmful form of bigotry, one justified and promoted by religious teaching, should not be condoned,” said Childers. "Governor Lingle has chosen to embrace bigotry over a call for equality and acceptance by a majority of legislators elected to office by the people of Hawaii. In doing so, she has sent a message to gay and lesbian Hawaiians, especially, that she believes they are morally inferior and unworthy to be treated equally. We hope she realizes the harm in her action."
Faith in America's mission is to educate Americans about the harm caused to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by religion-based bigotry. Brent Childers, an evangelical Christian who for years aligned himself with the anti-gay religious establishment, serves as executive director.