HAWAII: Christian Right Caught Off Guard

Chistianists in Hawaii are shocked, SHOCKED I tells ya, about yesterday's House vote to approve civil unions. (We're shocked too!) Unprepared for the vote, they are organizing to lobby the governor to veto the bill.

"It's not the end of the game," said Dennis Arakaki, executive director of the Hawai'i Family Forum and the Hawai'i Catholic Conference. "We still don't know what the governor's position is. That's the unknown. We're focusing on one person." Groups and churches against same-sex marriage said yesterday that they already were rallying their members to speak out against the vote, and predicted that the governor's office would be flooded with telephone messages and e-mails by today. Other civil-union opponents said the vote yesterday likely will fuel conservative organizing efforts and make civil unions an issue in the September primary and November general election. They said it could even be a factor in next month's special election for Hawai'i's 1st Congressional District seat.

Lt. Gov. James Aiona, the state's leading elected homophobe, has renewed his vow to put the issue to a public vote should it become law.