As the nation’s LGBTQ+ community brace for yet another Trump term, good news hails from Hawaii as the island state passes a pro same-sex marriage amendment to their constitution.
Though Donald Trump won the presidential election, various states included back-of-ballot referendums to pass protections for their residents. In Hawaii, a ballot initiative to protect marriage equality passed with approximately 52% of voters in favor and 40% opposed.
The referendum officially asked residents to repeal a state constitution amendment passed in 1998 which allowed state legislature to ban same-sex marriage. The 1998 decision followed a challenge to the state by same-sex couples in 1993, which eventually backfired leading the state to enact the ban in 1994, and eventually include language in the state constitution to ban these unions, according to LGBTQ Nation.
Despite this, in light of recent developments with the overturning of Roe v. Wade which eliminated the federal right to have an abortion. States have now been moving to ensure certain protections are written into state constitutions before Trump takes office. Jeff Hong, vice president of the ACLU’s Hawaii board of directors told reporters, “I’m glad that the people of Hawaii voted to remove discrimination from our bill of rights.”
Across the U.S. states ensured certain protections for their residents as well. Various ballot initiatives enshrined protections for abortion access in many state constitutions including: Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York and Nevada.
New York enshrined protections for trans rights with Proposition 1 which expands a standing constitutional right that protects New Yorkers from discrimination based on race, creed or religion. A majority of residents voted yes to include national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes or “reproductive healthcare and autonomy,” in that definition.
