VIDEO: During Pride Month, Hirono Meets with Hawaii LGBTQ+ Organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) convened a roundtable conversation with member organizations of the Hawaii Department of Health’s Sexual and Gender (SGM) Minority Working Group to discuss the services they offer and the challenges facing the communities they serve. As Pride month comes to a close, Senator Hirono heard from representatives from groups including Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, the Lavender Clinic, Kumukahi Health and Wellness, Tomita Psychotherapy and Consultation, Maui AIDS Foundation, and Ka Aha Mahu about the work they do to support Hawaii’s LGBTQ+ community. The group also discussed the implications for LGBTQ+ individuals in Hawaii and across the country, of the Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

“As we celebrate Pride month and Hawaii’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community, we must also remain vigilant about the many challenges LGBTQ+ people still face in Hawaii and across the country,” said Senator Hirono. “Hawaii has long been a leader in advancing equal opportunity for all, including the LGBTQ community. However, even in Hawaii, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face discrimination when it comes to living safely in their communities, access to health care, job security, housing and more. That’s why organizations like the ones I met with today, who provide resources, support, and care for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities across Hawaii, are so critical,” said Senator Hirono.

“Especially given the fact that the radical right-wing members of the Supreme Court made clear their intentions to revisit marriage equality. I appreciated the chance to learn more about the important work these organizations do, and I’ll continue fighting to make sure everyone can live safely and openly as their authentic selves,” she added.

“The Dobbs ruling casts a dark pall over the substantive policy gains that sexual and gender minorities have made in recent decades, including the decriminalization of adult consensual sexual relations and the affirmation of LGBTQ+ rights related to marriage, employment, and access to care services,” said Nikos Levernez, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction’s Grants and Advancement Manager. “It is important for Hawaii state policymakers to reaffirm a woman’s fundamental right to access needed family planning services, including contraception, abortion care, and in-vitro fertilization. Hawaii should also clarify that its express state constitutional right to privacy is more robust than privacy rights under the federal Constitution. Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center stands firmly with women, sexual and gender minorities, and those from under-resourced communities in the protection and furtherance of their health and well-being.”

Senator Hirono has been a consistent champion for LGBTQ+ rights. Last week, she took to the Senate floor to block Senate Republicans’ attempt to pass anti-transgender legislation to ban trans women and girls from participating in sports consistent with their gender. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono introduced a resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. In March, she introduced a resolution with her Senate colleagues recognizing International Transgender Day of Visibility. Senator Hirono is a sponsor of the Equality Act, which would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ individuals. She previously introduced the Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act to support access to sexual health services for marginalized youths, including medically accurate and complete, age, developmentally, and culturally appropriate sexual health information.

Video of Senator Hirono discussing the meeting is available here

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