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A bill that would create a state Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus Commission was passed Thursday out of the state Senate Ways and Means Committee.
The committee amended Senate Bill 2670 to include recommendations from the Hawaii Health &Harm Reduction Center that the commission should include at least one member representing the Hawaii Sexual and Gender Minority Work Group and others who “reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community by including individuals from different LGBTQ+ identities.”
Support for creation of the new commission came from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Pride at Work, Rainbow Family 808, Common Cause Hawaii, North Shore Ko‘olau Diversity Collective, AF3IRM Hawai‘i and Americans for Democratic Action.
Michael Golojuch Jr., representing the Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, noted in written testimony that it has been eight years since Hawaii passed the Marriage Equality Act, and “we have a lot more work to do to ensure Hawai‘i’s LGBTQIA+ community has full equality at every level (of) government and society.”
“Homophobia and transphobia are the most publicly accepted forms of bigotry, harassment and discrimination,” Golojuch said.
