First of its kind legislation was passed in Hawaii last week. On February 16 the Rainbow State (ironically) became the seventh state in the nation to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples without legalizing gay marriage. This new law, signed in to effect by Hawaii’s Governor Neil Abercrombie (D.) last week, will extend rights to gay and lesbian couples which would normally be reserved for married couples, such has hospital visitations and insurance benefits. This type of legislation is especially historic in Hawaii, as it was the first state in the nation to pass a bill that would essentially ban gay marriage in 1998 called the Defense of Marriage Bill. The new legislation is set to go into effect January 1, 2012
Going along with, or perhaps setting, the trend of extended civil liberties in 2011 is the state of Illinois. On January 31 of this year Illinois residents came by the thousands to watch the signing ceremony marking the induction of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act. This new legislation will extend similar couple’s rights to gay and lesbians in Illinois without actually granting state-wide marriage rights. The “Religious Freedom” portion of the bill comes from the fact that churches and church groups throughout Illinois will maintain the right to define marriage however they choose as well as the choice of whether or not to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Illinois officials have expressed hope that the bill could go into effect as early as June of this year.
What do these advancements in gay rights mean for the future of same sex marriage in the United States? Iowa, which only a couple of short years ago was being hailed as an example of civil liberties by the ACLU and gay rights groups, seems to be looking the opposite direction. At this time when other states around the nation are looking to amend laws providing civil unions for same-sex couples, the newly Republican Iowa government is looking to do just the opposite.
In mid-January 2011, an anti-gay marriage law was introduced into the Iowa legislature which aims to amend the current Iowa constitution. The new amendment would seek to not only bar same-sex couples from getting married in Iowa, but also would ban civil unions in the state. On February 1, the bill was passed in the Iowa House 62-37. As of now the bill seems to be at somewhat of a standstill in the Iowa Senate, whose majority leader has vowed to block its passage. However, if it does pass through the Senate at this time the amendment could be up for a vote by Iowans as early as 2013.
Leading the charge on this cause is the organization The Family Leader, a national organization whose major objectives are sustaining singularly heterosexual marriage laws and pro-life related issues. The Family Leader’s president, Bob Vander Plaats, has recently come under media scrutiny for making public his personal opinions that homosexuality was a public health crisis and for endorsing anti-gay therapies. Co-sponsoring this bill is Iowa representative Dwayne Alons (R.) who has expressed his support for The Family Leader and its mission and beliefs as well as his agreement with the remarks made by Vander Plaats.
