LIHU‘E — If there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it comes with a pair of rings. Since Jan. 1, same-sex couples in the state are eligible for many rights that opposite-sex couples have.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Feb. 23 signed Senate Bill 232 into law. The bill became Act 1 and allowed same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples eligible for civil union recognition beginning the following New Year’s Day.
Act 1 also grants civil union couples many of the same rights as traditionally married couples in Hawai‘i, according to the state Department of Health.
Despite all the hype of Hawai‘i being only the seventh state in the United States that recognizes civil unions, Kaua‘i has not seen now much of an increase in inquiries from couples wanting to tie the knot, according to local industry professionals.
“As far as I know, there have been a few people who have booked civil unions, but I don’t get it that it has sort of taken off yet,” said Rainbow Weddings planner KatRama Brooks, adding that she has not received any inquiries for civil unions.
Brooks and a few other Kaua‘i wedding professionals have been advertising their businesses on websites that cater to same-sex couples looking for the ultimate commitment, such as Engayged Weddings and Purple Unions.
The Rev. Christine Kube said she has one same-sex couple coming to Kaua‘i in March, “and that’s all.”
She doesn’t think people are going to flock to Hawai‘i right away, because the law just went into effect. But she also doubts Hawai‘i will become a destination for those seeking same-sex unions, since other states recognize civil unions.
She said she is not sure if a legal ceremony in Hawai‘i would affect a couple in a state that does not recognize civil unions.
“That would be a symbolic gesture,” Kube said. “But they would have a license.”
If Hawai‘i’s lawmakers and government officials moved to make same-sex marriage legal, then it would be another story. “I think it would attract a lot of business,” said Kube. When New York and Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, thousands married in a short period, Kube said.
Brooks said the reason that same-sex couples haven’t been setting dates could be the same reason that affects opposite-sex couples.
“The end of the year is pretty slow,” said Brooks, adding that people usually decide to get married over the holidays, and take a couple weeks to start making plans.
Online changes
Kaua‘i Wedding Professionals Association president Michael Dandurand said the association has been training wedding coordinators and others in the industry on how to handle civil unions and domestic partnerships, another type of license available.
The Department of Health is now offering online services, and state officials came to Kaua‘i in September to train about 20 wedding professionals on how to apply for licenses online, Kube said.
“It was an important process because now we can speed things up,” said Kube, adding that in 2010 there were 2,600 wedding licenses issued on Kaua‘i processed by volunteers. “Now we are going to add civil unions.”
Civil union licenses for couples and officiants were available at midnight on Jan. 1. Kube said she applied for her license at 9:30 a.m. that day, and she was only the 19th person statewide to be granted the license.
“I think everybody was a little nervous about making sure they could get their paperwork,” said Kube, trying to find an explanation for the low number of professional licenses issued in the first hours the Department of Health launched the online services.
She said she also suspects there were some professionals who might have run into problems, such as a friend of hers whom she said performs a lot of weddings, but wasn’t able to obtain a license. Her friend, she said, will have to wait until today, when agency offices open their doors officially for the first time this year.
Visitors who plan to come to Kaua‘i for a destination wedding can also fill out their licenses online to save time, Kube said.
Market
Civil unions may be new, but officiants have been performing commitment ceremonies for a long time, Kube said.
The wedding business in general, however, has also suffered with the economic recession. Kube said a few professionals have switched to different fields of work, and musicians were the first to be affected by cuts.
The recession seems to have no gender preferences. Brooks said that in 2005, she performed 10 commitment ceremonies. Last year, she performed only one.
Stacy Mallory, from In Heaven Commitments, said the company has had a lot of inquiries for O‘ahu, but not as many for Kaua‘i.
In Heaven Commitments specializes in commitments — and now civil unions — for same-sex couples, Mallory said, adding that the company performed a ceremony for a lesbian couple Jan. 1 on O‘ahu and has booked a ceremony for a male couple on Kaua‘i for February.
Overall, local wedding professionals say the majority of same-sex couple ceremonies performed on Kaua‘i are for women.
Brooks said she has never had an inquiry from male couples, and she is aware that the majority of ceremonies are for female couples, although there are a few male couples who do book with other companies.
Kube said male couples prefer going to O‘ahu rather than Kaua‘i because there are more gay-oriented bars and nightclubs on O‘ahu.
Visit www.hawaii.gov/health for more information.
Civil union online application
The state Department of Health started taking civil union applications online Jan. 1 at 12 a.m., but today is the first official business day of 2012 for state offices, including the Department of Health, which processes the applications for the unions.
The law doesn’t require blood tests, state residency or even U.S. citizenship. But applicants must be over 18 years old, not blood related and not married or in a domestic or reciprocal beneficiary partnership.
There are four basic requirements to obtain a civil union, according to the Department of Health:
1. Applicants must apply for a civil unions license.
2. Both applicants must be present before a civil union agent to receive a license.
3. The union must be performed by a licensed civil union performer or officiant.
4. Once the ceremony is completed, the couple must receive a civil union certificate that the legal civil union has been performed by a licensed performer or officiant.
The application fee is $60 plus a $5 portal administration fee. The fee can be paid online or in person. Applications are good for 30 days.
The Department of Health does not provide legal advice on benefits or entitlements. Instead, the agency advises on its website that couples seek such information from legal counsel, employers, providers or related government or private agencies that address the issues.
Visit www.hawaii.gov/health for more information.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
