Arizona passes laws you don’t like? Boycott! Will the gays add Hawaii to the list of overactionary tourism decisions? Maybe!
We’re Really Going to Boycott Hawaii Over Gov. Linda Lingle’s Civil Union Veto?
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Sug Night
Yes. Yes we are.
swhall
Money may talk, but my Hawaii vacation has been planned for over a year. I’m going next month and will certainly spend money at Hula’s in Honolulu.
Paschal
People need to think about this. Boycotting can be very effective, under certain circumstances. Will a small and not well-known boycott make Hawaiins vote for a pro-gay governor or legislator? No. The effect will be that normal working people as well as business will suffer to a degree for nothing. Think about it.
Jeff
These “normal working people” are the ones who elected lingle in the first place.
If tourist dollars dry up watch how “gay friendly” Hawaii becomes.
I hate to say it but theres ALWAYS collateral damage in a war. Abd part of the reason that we get nowhere is the fact that we try to be so damned uber PC and not “hurt” anyone and change minds. Thats the strategy we’ve used since 1985 and we still can’t even get civil uniions.
WSake up people. FIGHT for a change.
Oh and nowhere do you see any of hawaii’s business or tourism groups condemning Lingles Veto. Or actually pushing for passage before she Veto’d it.
If they don;t care about us. Why should we care about them.
swhall
@Jeff: I live in California. Since “we” passed Prop 8, should I boycott my own state? OR, do we “fight” by organizing, protesting, educating, voting, legal actions, etc? Boycotting Hawaii might draw some media attention but it’s the “easy” answer to a difficult situation. The gay/gay-friendly businesses and gay organizations in Hawaii deserve our help and support. Ask THEM what they need from you in this fight, rather then just yelling “Boycott!”.
jimstoic
It’s not a question of boycotting so much as a question of where Hawaii falls on the list of potential vacation sites. If civil unions were the law, Hawaii would have moved up the list. Since civil unions were denied in such an inelegant manner, it moves down the list. I take one major vacation a year, and it won’t be a problem to skip Hawaii as long as Lingleberry is in office.
Arguably no LGBT organizations should hold conventions there until the governor is out of office.
And arguably LGBT visitors to Hawaii should take care to use LGBT-friendly, and ideally LGBT-owned, businesses.
Sug Night
Jim – well put. Totally agree.
Chris
I cancelled mine as well.
Shade
Let’s just go over there and start making out more in public.
Sacramento
I’ll continue to enjoy my vacations to Palm Springs and have no need to visit Hawaii any time soon.
Dennis W
I enjoy Hawaii, and will be back in August. When the governor calls me for Mai Tai’s, I’ll be otherwise occupied doing my hair. No need to deny everyone else from having a good time or trying to make a buck.
Jeff
Swhall
“should I boycott my own state? OR, do we “fight” by organizing, protesting, educating, voting, legal actions, etc?”
Your own state no. But you should only be using gay businesses and gay supportive and friendly companies.
Education does not cure religious bigoty and impacts social bigotry very little. But by all means feel free to PROTEST and TAKE THEM TO COURT.
I only vaction in gay friendly states. Massachusettes if beautiful. Why in the world would I spend my gay money on a vacation in a place like in CA, UT, HI or any other place that doesn’t respect my rights. Even by patronizing only gat establishments the money still trickles into the Goverment through taxes.
jason
Boycott? LOL. I think most gay guys are interested in cruising the sex spots of Hawaii than fighting for their civil rights. Boycott, indeed.
Paschal
@Jeff: Using your logic you should boycott the entire United States of America for, as a country, the U.S.A. fails to protect the rights of its lgbt citizens. Would you encourage people outside of the U.S.A. to boycott the U.S.A. therefore harming fellow Americans? People ought to think about how their actions affect others.
@Jeff: …and those taxes help pay for the education of children in those states, etc. As I said, boycotts can be effective but only under certain circumstances. By boycotting Hawaii, the tourist industry and those who rely on it for a living suffer while a civil unions or marriage equality bill doesn’t pass. I highly doubt that the governor would change her mind because of a boycott which doesn’t involve many people. Again, boycotts can be great but this one isn’t good.
It’s crazy to state that education has little effect. Education is the greatest weapon any unfairly treated group has in its arsenal to achieve fair treatment. People change their opinions when they learn about the issues. It’s by explaining the issues to people and addressing their misconceptions that we can achieve fairness. The process of judicial review should be used to achieve legal rights but that won’t stop homophobia in society. Of course fair and equal treatment in law affects people’s views to a degree but society needs to learn about the issues if homophobia is to be defeated.
alan brickman
too sad…lots of gays work in the tourism industry…you will just hurt them with a boycott…she doesn’t care…
Ian
I live in Canada. It’s not like there aren’t gay friendly places with sun and beaches. And it’s not so much a boycott as a decision to go where you’re wanted when you take an easy beach vacation. I’ve let the governor know that Hawaii isn’t on my list anymore – after 3 visits in the last decade.
CJ
Have you contacted your representatives lately? We currently have a Democratic majority in the House and Senate. We have a Democratic president. We just need to twist some arms in getting things change. November is coming soon & it’s not going to get easier. We need to see change happen SOON.
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
Collin
That and the 60% of the populace that supported the veto.
Fitz
I am not thinking about officially boycotting at all… but I don’t go to parties that I am not invited to either.
Ronbo
Go. Complain. Throw rocks at the bitch. Visit Diamond Head. Have a cocktail. Watch the green flash. Flirt with the surf instructor. Spit on the Govenor’s picture. Have a good time. Retun to the mainland. Complain about Obama. Throw rocks at him. Visit the zoo. Watch TV. Flirt with your yoga instructor. Spit on Obama (I wish). Watch nudie dancers in D.C. Spit on Obama again. Lyin’ bitch(!) spit again.
Warren
Boycott, right. After typing a rant and checking out Clay Aiken’s love life, this community is totally spent.
El Brucio
The problem with boycotting Hawaii is that
a) the people who are against gay marriage will be happy the homos are staying home
b) Hawaii already attracts enough tourists that a gay boycott is not likely to make much of a difference to the state’s gross revenue and
c) the businesses that will really be hurt by this are the ones that have been going out of their way to specifically court gay customers over the years.
The best way to help? Move there and vote in their elections. Second best? Donate to community groups there that have been working this whole time to bring civil unions or same-sex marriage to Hawaii. The gubernatorial elections are coming up in November, I’m certain they could put the funds to good use.
Dan
Remember the other alternative. If you live in Hawaii, stop being nice to tourists – drive them away, make them feel unwanted, until Hawaii stops violating human rights.
Derek Washington
We have a right winger in Nevada who wants an Arizona type anti immigration law here. The visitors authority has shut him down. We have a state legislature that over rode the governors veto of domestic partnership because gaming said Gays would boycott Nevada if we were seen as anti gay. Don’t discount a gay tourist boycott.
Aaron in Honolulu
That is 2 bad things for me: not only can I not enter a civil union in my home state, but local gay hangouts where I socialize with Ohana (family) and friends could go out of business. Many of our hangouts depend on gay tourists. If they don’t come, our places of security and belonging will slowly diminish. Boycotting Hawaii doesn’t only hurt the straight locals, it also hurts the local gay community. This is my home. We don’t want to suffer more pain than we have already endured when hearing the cheers of religious fanatics at our state capitol when it was announced that the bill was vetoed.
[i]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDbkJPWAdjU[/i]
My name is Aaron. I was born and raised in Honolulu and I am 21 years old.
Dan
Aaron, you are 21. Time to move to the mainland and leave all your troubles behind. The slaves had to flee the South to get their freedom before the Civil War wiped out lots of Americans and the 14th Amendment was finally added to the U.S. Constitution. Pack your stuff and head out. On the plus side, volcanic activity and/or rising sea levels from global warming will probably make the decision for you if you procrastinate.
Rhina J.
The Arizona immigration law had people from foriegn international countries calling a boycott to that state…from celebrities, to charities, to corporate orginizations and even sporting events. But we get CIVIL UNIONS stripped from us in a state that had over 10,000 protestors that came out against gay civil unions and we’re told to turn a blind eye and be the bigger person?
This whole -NICE GAY GUY ACT- isn’t working out so well for us and until gays start demanding, making their presence known, standing up and speaking up….no rights for you.
As for this notion that the boycott will directly effect gays too? it also directly effects the bigots, so sorry LGBT Hawaii gays, you’re a casualty in fighting ‘the man’ which you too should do as you’re right there in the battle zone.
Let gays galvanize together and show that this “minority group” has a majority voice.
Darnel Smith
Asking for the gay community to pretend this did not happen is asking for the gay community to kick rocks and go our own seperate ways. We’re not all GLAAD members, or civil rights lawyers, or gay politicians…but protests and strikes is the average (LGBTs) individuals way of making our voices uniformed, and heard and organized to feel we too play a role in this much needed change. If you just want gay lawyers to take care of every gay battle, absolutely nothing will be accomplished anywhere.
Sparkleflashlight
As a long time business owner and someone who was a politicians right hand man for sometime, here’s why boycotts work:
Firstly, you need to let it be known you are a prominent group boycotting, and need to let the right people know, otherwise it’s a lost cause. Secondly, you tell those people (tourism firm, local business owners, restuarants, tour guides/companies, hotels, resorts) and eventually when it pinches their pocket you can trust they will take it to the politician and demand change, in this case: in favor of gays. When things directly effect the average citizens wallet, you’ll be surprised how easily swayed their opinion gets, or how a once indifferent bystanderd becomes a big time advocate. A couple of businesses, managers, local leaders take it up with the governors office and that change you are looking for will be made. Maybe not with the intentions you’re looking for (more of a profit based change) but still a change. It starts with a boycott and pours over to people wanting that pink dollar, which in Hawaii and the gay oriented festivals there, can make a profound difference.
Concord
There’s literally dozens of VERYYYYY gay friendly islands to choose from. Most far more affordable than Hawaii. Going to Hawaii fter this ruling is kind of not giving a damn about yourself, and the future generation of gay folks, which is not the Harvey Milk way and if all of us could find a little Harvey in us, gay rights would be a thing of the past. As many posters said above, it’s a matter of choosing other destinations over Hawaii. If you want to know more about these gay friendly tropical islands, do a google search in the search engine type it and you’ll be greeted with hotels, restuarants, even parties and festivals that are gay. Just do your homework, dont be lazy.
t.j
To bring up California in this is a DISGUSTING comparison and so undermines the research and education profession.
California’s Prop 8 was regarding gay MARRIAGE which nearly 50% of Californians are indeed in favor of (a very promising number). California also has a comprehensive civil unions law mandated (that needs to graduate to full marriage) which over 70% of Californians support.
Hawaii was voting on freakin’ CIVIL UNIONS. Civil freakin’ unions and conversly, nearly 70% of their population doesn’t even supprt civil unions. That state is dead to me and any other self respecting homosexual, period.
Paschal
@t.j: Where did you get that figure?
ousslander
i guess I’lll go to Arizona instead.
redd
@Sacramento: I’m sorry, but the people of Hawaii are not to blame for what Lingle did. However the people of California are to blame for prop 8, and your still planning on going to Palm Springs… way to go.
redd
@Dan: I lived in Hawaii, and the people there were as welcoming and kind as could be (treated way better there as a gay man then in West Hollywood/LA).
I cannot believe you would say something like this to Aaron. He is a lucky man to live in Hawaii!
redd
This is ridiculous… no matter what any state chooses to do, on a federal level we are not recognized and will not be for a long time to come, so using the same logic lets all pack our bags and move to another country.
Lets be real people… it’s not about where we go on our vacations, or who we boycott, its about getting off our butts and doing something.
I worked my butt off against prob 8, and so did many others. However so many other gay and lesbians did nothing, not a thin dime, or a so much as trying to open dialog about how wrong it was.
So really lets get real here.
Paul in Honolulu
Everyone take a deep breath! First, our Senate by way more than a 2/3 majority approved civil unions. Second, we fell only three votes short of a veto-proof majority favoring the bill in the House. What was weak-kneed was our Speaker of the House, Calvin Say (who, incidentally voted FOR the measure) declining to call for an override session, which more than likely would have quashed the veto because there were more than three reps who were pissed at Lingle for disrespecting the majority will of the legislators.
Rather than a boycott, I urge everyone to support Neil Abercrombie, one of our two Congressional reps, who is running for governor. He has said unequivocally that he would sign a civil unions bill when (not if) it’s presented to him. And given the fact that in the next session, after the election, at least a bare majority of the legislators in both houses will approve a bill that is identical to the one that Lingle vetoed, we need to chill out and wait until Abercrombie is elected.
It’s always the same in the struggle for equal rights: two steps forward, one step back. Take a deep breath and remember the unchanging lesson of history: Progress can be slowed, but it CANNOT be stopped.
Dan
@REDD
They aren’t nice. They voted away the human rights of hundreds of millions of gay people and added discrimination to the Hawaii state constitution. That’s evil. Plain and simple.
They are “nice” in the way a greedy master is nice to his slaves knowing they are just slaves.
Aaron in Honolulu
@Dan: You wouldn’t know anything about volcanoes or rising sea levels in Hawaii. Eventually, I will move to the mainland but Hawaii will always be my home. But when I decide to get married, I want to do it here for all my family and friends to see.