The ACLU of Hawaii and Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center warmly invite you to a public gathering to honor the important role our state played in the pursuit of marriage equality for members of our LGBTQ+ community.

The event will take on Monday, February 13, at 10 AM in the auditorium.

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Baehr v. Lewin, where the Hawaii State Supreme Court determined that denying a marriage license to a same-sex couple violated the equal protection guaranteed by our state constitution. Our guests will include Judge Daniel Foley (ret.), who litigated the Baehr v. Lewin case as an advocate for the ACLU of Hawaii, Genora Dancel, one of the plaintiffs in that case, and Justice Steven Levinson (ret.), who authored the Baehr v. Lewin decision.

Speaker Saiki will present Judge Foley and Justice Levinson with a legislative certificates in appreciation for their role in marriage equality and for their commitments to public service. Other guests include Tom Ramsey, who will provide brief remarks about the road leading to Hawaii’s legalization of same-sex marriage in a special session of the Legislature in 2013.

Less than two months ago President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, requiring the federal government and all states to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages. Judge Foley’s authored a recent column in Honolulu Civil Beat, “Reflections on the Respect for Marriage Act.”

Please join us to hear from our distinguished guests and celebrate Hawaii’s historic role in the pursuit of marriage equality. There will also be an opportunity to meet them and members of the capitol community in attendance.

For more information, contact Nikos Leverenz nleverenz@hhhrc.org