Dear Governor Lingle,
Yesterday I heard an audio clip of you speaking about your recent veto of the civil unions bill in Hawaii.
Even though the issue at hand was civil unions you were adamant in equating civil unions to marriage. Governor Lingle, it was not a marriage bill, it was a civil unions bill! However, 5 times, in as many minutes, you equated civil unions to marriage.
You also referenced a ‘decision to be gay’ as if being gay is a simple choice. As I’m sure you are aware, for the vast majority of us in the LGBT community it is not a choice to be gay. Your referencing of such is insulting and speaks volumes towards your mindset on the subject.
You then went on to suggest the civil unions bill would cause children in schools to be taught about acceptance, as if this would be a bad thing. Of course you are fully aware the civil unions bill does not have any wording that dictates educational changes or requirements!
Governor Lingle, you also stated first cousins can not marry in your state. This is a bold face lie!
Governor Lingle, you referenced homosexuality as a lifestyle. If homosexuality is a lifestyle then heterosexuality is also a lifestyle. I suggest to you, in both cases we are talking about life, not lifestyles.
You also suggested this issue should be voted on by the people. The people vote Congressional Representatives into office to represent them. The President and Vice President of the United States are placed into office by the Electoral College (legislators). Your suggestion is simply a deferment of your responsibility!
Finally, Governor Lingle, when you took office you swore to uphold the Constitution of Hawaii. The Constitution of Hawaii clearly states discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal. By signing this veto you have gone against your oath of office. Indeed, you have shown, your word/promise holds little value!
For this reason, and directly due to your incorrect and unconstitutional veto of this civil union legislation, your state is now being sued by two national legal organizations.
Governor Lingle, it is very obvious you have let your personal bias sway your oath of office, your intelligence and decency.
Sincerely,
Tom Cunha
QueerPublicRadio.com
I’d like to thank Jeremy over at goodasyou.org for the audio. He has more of the Governor’s interview available on his site. Click here if you’d like to hear the other parts.
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