[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/west-coast-action\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/west-coast-action\/","headline":"West Coast Action","name":"West Coast Action","description":"By Katherine Dean Hawaii, California and Washington saw lots of action in the fight for gay marriage rights this week. Late on Thursday, Hawaii\u2019s state...","datePublished":"2010-05-03","dateModified":"2021-06-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/west-coast-action\/","about":["Marriage Equality News"],"wordCount":420,"articleBody":"By Katherine DeanHawaii, California and Washington saw lots of action in the fight for gay marriage rights this week.Late  on Thursday, Hawaii\u2019s state legislature passed House Bill 444 by a vote of 31-20. The bill, which was revived in the House on  the final day of the legislative session, allows same-sex couples to enter  into a civil union that provides the same spousal rights as traditional  marriage. The decision to sign the bill into law now lies with Republican Governor  Linda Lingle, who has until July 6 to either approve the bill or veto it.Hawaii  has long been a battleground state in the fight for gay marriage rights. In 1993, a Hawaii Supreme Court decision almost  made Hawaii the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. In 1998, however,  voters in the Aloha State approved a constitutional \u201cdefense of marriage\u201d  amendment. The amendment resulted in a law banning gay marriage but allowing civil  unions.Back on the mainland this past Wednesday, Judge  Vaughn Walker set a tentative date of June 16 to hear closing arguments in  California\u2019s Prop 8 trial. The trial has been postponed while gay rights groups fought a  court order to turn over internal documents to defendants. The groups have  decided to comply with the order, and the trial, which will determine whether or  not California\u2019s 2008 ban on gay marriage is constitutional, can now move  forward.Finally, last week, the U.S. Supreme Court began  hearing arguments in Doe v. Reed. The case originates in Washington state, where anti-marriage equality activists  gathered 138,500 signatures on petitions to put Referendum 71 on that state\u2019s  ballot last year. The referendum challenged a law that previously enacted  same-sex marriage rights. Though Washington voters ultimately rejected Referendum  71 and upheld spousal equality, during the campaign, gay rights activists asked  the state for the names and addresses of the petitioners. Washington state  law requires the release of the names, but a federal court denied the  request agreeing with the petitioners that it would \u201cviolate their  constitutional rights to engage in anonymous political speech\u201d and would subject them  to harassment. The Supreme Court is now considering whether or not signing a petition is protected as private under the First Amendment.Fight for marriage equality on the West Coast. Visit and support Equality Hawaii, Equality California and Equal Rights Washington.From a tropical, beachside celebration on the Big Island to a cozy and intimate ceremony in Wine Country, Equally Wed has got your  West Coast wedding covered. Visit our Local Resources marketplace to plan your special day."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"West Coast Action","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/west-coast-action\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]