Laurie testifies for Civil Unions bill.

“After I testified I was verbally attacked by an opponent who said I lied about being raised into a healthy adult, and they attacked me as a parent as well. My testimony led the 5pm news on at least one, maybe two news channels.”
- Laurie Cicotello

Update Feb. 23: Civil Unions Become Law!

Update Feb. 11th:  Hawaii House Passes Civil Unions Bill!

Update Feb, 10th: “We got an 11-2 vote to move SB232 to the full House. The 3rd & final reading is tomorrow. Because of amendments from the Attorney General’s office, the bill will return to the Senate before going to Governor,” said Laurie.

Laurie Cicotello is a COLAGEr who  served on the COLAGE Board of Directors. She has been sending us regular updates from Hawaii as several bills move their way through the legislature. “It’s complicated,” she says because there are several bills.

• Watch Laurie in a video report of the debates on KITV.
• Watch Laurie in a video report of the debates on KHON 2.
  

Laurie testified on behalf of her family and COLAGE in support of SB232. Read her testimony below:

Testimony in SUPPORT of SB232 HD1 and/or HB1453
Hearing: 2:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, Conference Room 016

Dear Rep. Keith-Agaran, Rep. Rhoads, Rep. Brower, Rep. Cabanilla, Rep. Carroll, Rep. Herkes, Rep. Ito, Rep. Luke, Rep. McKelvey, Rep. Morita, Rep. Oshiro, Rep. Souki, Rep. Tsuji, Rep. Fontaine, Rep. Marumoto and Rep. Thielen:

Aloha. Mahalo for this opportunity to testify before you this afternoon. My name is Laurie Cicotello and I live in Moili‘ili. I come before you today in support of Senate Bill 232 HD 1 and/or House Bill 1453 regarding the legalization of Civil Unions. I represent COLAGE, People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent. Founded more than 20 years ago, COLAGE envisions a world in which all families are valued, protected, reflected and embraced by society and all of its institutions.

I strongly believe all unions between two consenting adults should be treated equally under the law and as protected by the United States Constitution. Senate Bill 232 HD1 and/or HB 1453 would provide the same rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities to partners in civil unions as to those people in traditional marriages. In addition, children of same-sex couples are currently without the same family protections and benefits provided to children of opposite-sex couples. All families and their children will benefit from the passage of Senate Bill 232 HD1 and/or House Bill 1453.

My parents proudly celebrated their 42nd anniversary on February 1, 2011 – in a legal, now same-sex marriage. In 1969, at Sacred Hearts Catholic Church in Milwaukee, my folks committed in front of God, their family and friends to “Let No One Rend Asunder” their wedding vows. More than 25 years ago, my parent, Dainna, completed the transition from male to female. She and my mom, Mary, decided to stay together and remain married during this intensely personal and emotional change. They are the first couple in the United States to remain legally married following Dainna’s transition.

Over the years, various people from all walks of life have had no problem telling me they feel my parent’s marriage is null and void. I have been told that children are “better off raised in traditional families,” whatever that means. Children like me also hear that as the product of nontraditional families, we will turn into a deviant scourges on society. Yet, I stand before you today as a moral, healthy, well-adjusted adult who has a great deal more compassion for all family structures. I have a highly successful career as a journalist and educator—and even served as a communications specialist in Governor Linda Lingle’s executive office.

In 1996, Colorado overturned State Amendment 2 after the United States Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Romer v. Evans that “an identifiable group of people could not be walled off from the legal system.” Because marriage—and now civil unions—are first and foremost legal contracts and agreements, the proof of which is that while many, but not all, weddings take place in churches, ALL divorces must take place in a courtroom. Thus, not allowing a certain identifiable group of people to enter into a legal contract effectively walls them off from the legal system.

There is also no way to define the terms, “male,” “female,” “man,” or “woman,” legally or otherwise and no criteria to write those definitions. We are more alike than we are different on every consideration. For example, the International Olympic Committee stopped chromosomal testing in 1994 after finding too many athletes were not exclusively XX or XY.

In addition to supporting the legalization of civil unions, I also kindly ask that Hawai‘i honor the “Full Faith and Credit” afforded under the United States Constitution regarding marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships or similar legal recognitions between two consenting adults.

I join my parents and countless other ‘ohana across the country in fighting for equality and justice within the law. As my parents travel the country, we are never sure which states will still recognize their marriage and their commitment to “Let No One Rend Asunder” their vows.

Mahalo nui loa for your consideration and support of Senate Bill 232 HD1 and House Bill 1453 recognizing Same-Sex Civil Unions. Thank you for your consideration and support of my family and all families like mine.

Imua Hawai‘i!