Same-sex marriage in Hawaii

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Same-sex marriage in Hawaii: a short, easy-to-understand history

Hawaii started with a long legal fight over whether same-sex couples could marry. After years of court cases, votes, and new laws, Hawaii now allows same-sex marriages and recognizes them equally with opposite-sex marriages.

Key milestones

- Civil unions and other protections: Before full marriage equality, Hawaii created civil unions (allowing most marriage rights at the state level) starting January 1, 2012. Earlier, since 1997, Hawaii also offered reciprocal beneficiary relationships with some partner rights.

- Early court cases and a constitutional change: In the 1990s, the Hawaii Supreme Court questioned bans on same-sex marriage and said denying licenses could be discriminatory. In 1998, voters approved Amendment 2, giving the Legislature power to reserve marriage for opposite-sex couples. This contributed to Hawaii’s ban staying in place for a time.

- Moving toward marriage equality: In 2013, after national court rulings and Supreme Court decisions, Hawaii pressed for change. The Hawaii Legislature passed the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act, and Governor Neil Abercrombie signed it on November 13, 2013. Same-sex marriages began in Hawaii on December 2, 2013. The first couple to marry right after midnight was Jonipher Kwong and Chris Nelson.

- Legal challenges after legalization: A federal lawsuit, Jackson v. Abercrombie, challenged Hawaii’s ban, but the district court upheld the ban in 2012. After Hawaii legalized same-sex marriage, the Ninth Circuit dismissed that case as moot in 2014.

- What happened to Amendment 2? Hawaii later revisited its state constitution. In 2024, voters approved a new constitutional amendment (Amendment 1) that repealed Amendment 2, removing the Legislature’s power to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples and keeping same-sex marriage recognized.

- How many marriages and where people married: Since legalization in 2013, thousands of same-sex couples have wed in Hawaii. By the mid-2010s, same-sex marriages accounted for a notable share of all Hawaii marriages, with many taking place in counties like Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.

- Notable marriages: The law change allowed other important moments, such as Genora Dancel’s marriage to Kathryn Dennis in December 2013, and in 2017, a member of Hawaii’s royal family, Kawānanakoa, married her partner Veronica Worth in Honolulu.

- Economic and social impact: Studies estimated that allowing same-sex marriage could boost wedding-related spending, tourism, and related jobs in Hawaii. The state’s experience shows that legal recognition supports families and contributes to the local economy.

What this means now

Today, Hawaii recognizes marriages regardless of gender. Civil unions and reciprocal beneficiary relationships are still options, but same-sex marriage is fully legal and protected by the state constitution. Hawaii’s journey reflects broader national changes toward equality, ending in a constitutional provision that ensures marriage equality for all couples.