HAWAII – Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed same-sex civil unions into law. Hawaii will start civil unions Jan. 1, 2012, making it the seventh state to permit civil unions or similar legal recognitions for gay couples.
“The legalization of civil unions in Hawaii is long overdue. People have worked long and hard for this day,” Gov. Abercrombie said at a signing ceremony. “This is a prime example of exercising civic courage. It is about doing what is right, no matter how difficult, no matter how much opposition. This bill represents equal rights for everyone in Hawaii, everyone who comes here. This is to me the essence of the aloha spirit. With its signing, I want to say ‘welcome’ to the world, come to paradise.”
