Hawaii may legalize gay marriage

Most University students can be confident that the future will include a nice job, a comfortable place to live and a spouse to share it with. For same-sex couples, though, this is a legal impossibility. But a case under consideration by Hawaii's supreme court could change that. Many other states have reacted to the Hawaii case by passing or considering passing legislation specifically prohibiting same-sex marriages. Currently, all states recognize each other's marriage licenses, which would bind them to honor Hawaii's potential recognition of same-sex marriages. This could potentially have an affect on the gay community at the University. College of General Studies senior and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance co-Chairperson Anthony Putz explained that from his observations of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community at the University, people are divided about the importance of legalized same-sex marriages. "Legalization could only be helpful because it would make life easier for same-sex couples," Putz said. He added that although he is currently divorced, he was "married" to another man but that it was only in the eyes of his family and friends, not the law. "We couldn't get the health benefits of a legally married couple," he said. "It was like a constant reminder of how we are not considered equal in this society." Putz explained that he hopes other people will be more fortunate and not have to experience the difficulties he and his ex-partner had to endure because of the legal issues involved. College freshman Alex Gino, a self-identified lesbian, said that this issue is not of constant concern for her. But she added that she may be confronted with it as some point in her life. "It's lurking in the back of my mind," Gino said. "But until I'm in a serious relationship I won't have to really deal with it." Anthropology graduate student Carol Nickolai has confronted the legalization issue many times in her life. She and her girlfriend, Neuroscience graduate student Lyngine Calizo, share the same household but cannot get accidental death insurance because they are not legally married. Nickolai explained that more than anything, she is worried about her future if marriage between same-sex couples never becomes legal. "I could be prevented from seeing her in the hospital or vice versa if we were not legally married," she said. "That makes me feel like I'm a second-class citizen." Nickolai also said she does not understand how the government can pretend not to make moral decisions regarding peoples lives, since she sees this as a purely moral issue. "I'm concerned that people are wasting valuable time, energy and money protesting something as ridiculous as this," she said. "The irony is that if marriage were legal for gay couples, then maybe it would normalize it and people would be more comfortable with the idea." Bob Schoenberg, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Center at Penn, explained that John Street, president of the Philadelphia City Council, refused to support domestic partner benefit legislation by stating that he was "not anti-gay, but pro-marriage." Schoenberg suggested that with the potential legalization of same-sex marriages on the horizon, "Street will have his chance to voice his support for them and work against any legislation proposed in Pennsylvania to prohibit them."