Hawaii Religious Leaders Sign Gay Marriage Appeal

by Oskar Garcia

Associated Press

Tuesday August 20, 2013

More than two dozen Hawaii faith leaders of various religions signed a resolution Monday calling the state to pass a law legalizing gay marriage.

Jewish, Unitarian, Methodist and other leaders read and signed the poster-sized declaration at an interfaith brunch at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu.

"It's all about standing on the right side of history," said Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kupono Kwong of the First Unitarian Church.

Kwong said the groups would continue to press on the issue until more people are in favor of gay marriage.

"We will keep doing it until we're all prayed out," Kwong said.

The resolution asks Hawaii lawmakers to extend civil marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Hawaii currently has a civil unions law, but some say it doesn't go far enough in fully recognizing couples as married.

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