Three weeks ago Hawaii's Governor, Linda Lingle, vetoed the civil unions bill that made its way to her desk after stating it was the voters right to decide whether marriage should be between a man and a woman. As a result, 6 gay couples have filed a lawsuit asking for the same rights as married couples. They are not asking for the label "civil union" or "marriage", but are rather for the state to extend the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on Hawaii's Constitution ban against sex discrimination. Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal, stated "This case is not about marriage. It's about the right of same-sex couples to at least have a system that is understandable and complete...The state's equality guarantee at least has to mean same-sex couples should have the same rights and responsibilities, even if it's segmented off into a system that isn't as respected, understood and revered as marriage."
Source- The Associated Press: Hawaii lawsuit seeks equal rights for gay couples by Mark Niesse
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