At the stroke of midnight marriage equality became legal in Hawaii early Monday morning as 6 gay & lesbian couples tied the knot. The Sheraton Waikiki resort hosted mass ceremonies for anyone wanting to sign up while a group of clergy who pushed for the new law hosts a wedding for an openly gay Unitarian minister at a church near downtown Honolulu. Maria Gallo, a Honolulu resident who married her partner, Beth Creary, at the Sheraton Waikiki midnight event stated, "It's just exciting & historic & we wanted to be a part of it. This is like a confirmation with a group of people here who are sharing our joy.” Michael Golojuch Jr., chairman on Honolulu Pride & one of the organizers of the midnight weddings at the Sheraton added,
"We started this battle 23 years ago & we get to finish it tonight. They opened up their doors to us, their hearts to us. That's what we're seeing with a lot of the business community that understands that $217 million is what our economy needs to keep on going." A University of Hawaii study estimates that Hawaii will get a $217 million tourism boost over the next 3 years as a result of gay marriage.
Hawaii's marriage laws allow couples to register for a license &
be married the same day. Couples can actually sign up for a license
online & then be verified by any license agent throughout the
state.
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