Modern and changing weddingsNorth America
Same-sex marriage in Hawaii
The legalization of marriage for same-sex couples in the Hawaiian islands.
Marriage between two people of the same sex has been lawful in Hawaii since December 2013. The state legislature passed the enabling act after years of court battles and constitutional amendments that previously restricted marriage to opposite-sex pairs.
Couples of the same gender can marry legally in Hawaii. This right was secured through legislative action in late 2013. Prior to this change, the state experienced decades of legal challenges and constitutional amendments regarding who could wed.
Legal history
Early court cases in the nineteen nineties challenged the state ban on same-sex unions. A landmark ruling found that denying licenses discriminated based on sex. However, voters later amended the state constitution to allow the legislature to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples. This amendment effectively upheld the ban until it was repealed by voters in twenty twenty-four.
Civil unions
Before full marriage equality, Hawaii offered civil unions starting in early twenty twelve. These unions provided state-level rights and benefits similar to marriage. Reciprocal beneficiary relationships existed earlier but offered fewer protections. Civil unions remain available today alongside marriage for all couples.
Legislation passage
The Hawaii Marriage Equality Act passed during a special legislative session in October twenty thirteen. Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the bill into law in November. Same-sex couples began receiving licenses on December second. This made Hawaii the fifteenth U.S. state to legalize such marriages.
When and where
This practice occurs within the United States, specifically in the state of Hawaii. Honolulu serves as the primary administrative center for these legal proceedings.
Then and now
The constitutional restriction limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples was removed by voter approval in November twenty twenty-four. This repeal explicitly eliminated the legislature's authority to reserve marriage for different-sex pairs only.
Questions people ask about Same-sex marriage in Hawaii
When did same-sex marriage become legal in Hawaii?
Same-sex marriage became legal on December 2, 2013, following the signing of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act by Governor Neil Abercrombie.
Are civil unions still available in Hawaii?
Yes, civil unions remain an option for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples in Hawaii, providing state-level rights and benefits similar to marriage.
What happened to the constitutional amendment restricting marriage?
Voters repealed the amendment in November 2024, removing the legislature's power to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.
See also
Interracial marriageA union between spouses of different races or racialized ethnicities, now legal in most nations.
Same-sex marriageThe legal union of two people of the same sex or gender, recognized in dozens of countries.
NikahThe Islamic marriage contract that establishes a binding union between two people.
Blessing ceremony of the Unification ChurchA large-scale marriage rededication or new union ceremony that engrafts couples into a sinless lineage.Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Same-sex marriage in Hawaii", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryShaadi rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
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