Okino: Homosexuality causes disease

There’s a maelstrom of controversy surrounding Hawaii House Bill #444, which “extends the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union.”  Churches and other groups organized a demonstration against the bill that drew thousands to the State Capitol on Sunday, and the Interfaith Alliance Hawaii staged a smaller rally in support of the measure yesterday.

Today, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations heard public testimony, and the crowd on hand “is the largest in recent memory,” according to Honolulu Advertiser political reporter Derek DePledge.  Thanks to Twitter, I’ve been able to track near real-time coverage of the day’s testimony.

Without a doubt, the day’s most disturbing statements (so far) came from Councilman Gary Okino.  Here are the Twitter updates courtesy DePledge, the Hawaii State Senate Majority office, and L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine:

  • hawaiisenate: Gary Okino testifying in opposition to civil unions
  • NEENZ: Councilman Okino says that #HB444 is a threat to Hawaii because he’s a Christian and that we better abide by God.
  • ddepledge: Honolulu City Councilman Okino: civil unions would be a danger to the community.
  • NEENZ: Councilman Okino says that a STDs, diseases and AIDS are almost exclusive to a homosexual lifestyle. #HB444
  • hawaiisenate: Okino: Civil unions would be a danger to HI. Cites dangerous health risks to the homosexual community.
  • ddepledge: Okino: marriage is between a man and woman because the “parts fit.” Homosexuality, he says, causes disease.
  • NEENZ: Councilman Okino says that homosexuals have these STDs, diseases, and AIDS because parts don’t fit. #HB444
  • ddepledge: Okino: Civil unions would give legal equivalence to the homosexual lifestyle.
  • hawaiisenate: Okino: Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage have had dangerous consequences. Children are being indoctrinated into homosexual lifestyle
  • ddepledge: Okino: “I believe they’re misinterpreting the Bible.”
  • ddepledge: Sen. Nishihara asks whether Okino bases his decision on the Bible or the law.
  • ddepledge: Okino says he bases his moral decisions on the Bible.

The reaction was, not surprisingly, swift and strong:

  • aloha_aina: Appalling! Councilman Okino. Judge not, lest ye be judged. Love thy neighbor as thyself. No where does God say to legislate hate!
  • kristenbonilla: Seriously?!?! Okino said that?!?!? Wow, I’m speechless.
  • satlu: Holy hell, that may have been the most ignorant statement of the year from Councilman Okino
  • billso: Okino said what?!? Is he that poorly informed or is he just another ignorant bigot? Sad. Keep us posted.
  • valdezign: Okino is a moron. That’s shameful.

Ultimately, the debate is over whether “civil unions” are just “marriage” with another name (since Hawaii voters already made “same-sex marriage” illegal).  The democratic and legislative process is supposed to sort these things out, and I can see reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue.

But Okino’s statements are unforgivable.  I hope he hears just how wrong he is from more than just a few Twitter users.

11 Responses

  1. Linkmeister says:

    Oh, man. He’s my rep, and most of the time I agree with him or at least see where he’s coming from. Not this time. Time to look for a challenger.

  2. Pedro says:

    I won’t even speak for the obvious hate sentiments spewed by Councilman Okino and obvious dubious interpretation of “separation of church and state” by Councilman Okino. However, from a public health perspective I condemn his comments for being so ill-informed and utilizing those untrue facts about STD’s to move his political and religious agenda.

    It is completely untrue that being in a heterosexual relationship somehow exempts you from attaining an STD or that simply by being homosexual you carry disease. Regardless of his political or religious views, Councilman Okino should be punished through votes for being so careless about making statements about disease and health.

  3. I read somewhere in my bible that Mormons cause disease. It’s chapter 11. Proposition 8. Look it up!

  4. Thom says:

    I’m horrified at his comments he made. This is another example of homophobia. Councilman Okino is a disgrace to our community.

  5. Darrell says:

    Jesus help Gary Okino. He needs your love in his heart, and it has become impossible to hide his true colors. Ann Kobayashi might need to lead another charge to oust him.

  6. DB says:

    Oh, gosh! Look at all the haters coming out! Look, i love seeing cute couples and the photo ops of gays and lesbians are soooooo cute. However, it is also very misleading. This whole push for marriage is political and financial as a means of demeaning the sanctity of the institution for heterosexuals and the religious. The truth is that most gays are not monogamous……….not by a long shot! 75% of gays have had over a 100 partners. Wow, a lot, huh? Im not done yet! 43% have had more than 500. FIVE HUNDRED, guys! 5-0-o! Why get married if you want to screw around! Obviously, it is not for commitment! 66% cheat within the first year, nearly 90% if the relationship even lasted 5 years!
    Im all for doing as you please in your own home if you are not hurting anyone. However, homosexuality is unhealthy resulting in an average 20-year reduction in lifespan. That is worse than smoking! Gays also comprise 85% of Syphilis cases and almost exclusively compose Kaposi’s Syndrome and are the number 2 consumer of Attends and Baby wipes.
    I suppose I will get flamed for citing the statistics but keep in mind, I’m not anti-gay; I’m anti-welfare and anti-socialism. You pay your own costs and I will pay my own costs. The reason for this attack on marriage has little to do with cute couples wanting “God’s blessing in holy matrimony” and everything to do with demeaning the sanctity of religious marriage and with trying to get the public to pay for the much higher healthcare costs borne by people who make expensive choices. Robert Maplethorpe is a case in point. He WANTED to offend others and he succeeded. He was sociopathic and many people hate him. Frankly, I hope he died a painful death. Not because he was gay but because he was offensive. Regardless of how simple Okino is, there is a sound basis and a vested interest in not extending healthcare benefits to risky individuals and groups. I do not want to pay for the poor choices of the obese, the drunk, the smokers, the welfare baby breeders or philandering gays. That doesnt make me homophobic; it makes me against socialism.

  7. WS says:

    DB: Quit posting blatent lies about people you don’t even know; for all you know you’re best friend could be gay and afraid of you for being so foolish and following your falsified statistics

  8. John St. Michael says:

    ummm…..hello ???? where you have people been ??

    Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ a Health Risk Doctors Warn Parliamentarians
    February 17, 2005
    “The document, signed by doctors in different disciplines from family medicine, dermatology and neurology, warns that sex as practiced by most gay men, has a large number of diseases associated with it, “many of which are rare or even unknown in the heterosexual population” as: anal cancer, Chlamydia trachomatis, Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia, Herpes simplex virus, HIV, Human papilloma virus, Isospora belli, Microsporidia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C and others.”
    http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/feb/05021709.html

  1. February 24, 2009

    […] is.He said in testimony against HB 444 that homosexuality causes disease. On top of that, he stated “Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage have had dangerous consequences. Children are bein….In my opinion, Councilman Okino has no aloha for the civil rights of same sex partners.Which is […]

  2. February 24, 2009

    […] 444relating to civil unions and currently making its way through our State Legislature. Today from Hawaii Blog, Okino: Homosexuality causes disease and Damon Tucker’s Weblog, The Civil Union Bill Tweet Feed […]

  3. March 2, 2009

    […] RSS ← Okino: Homosexuality causes disease […]

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