Maui Companies Join Forces in Supporting Same Sex Nuptials

[flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUlbB5_R79Y /] By Wendy Osher

Two Maui businesses have arranged more than 50 same sex nuptials since a new law went into effect in December, legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, according to new information released by the Maui Visitors Bureau.

An MVB newsletter states that 85% of the weddings conducted by the two companies–Maui Sunseeker, and Gay Hawaiʻi Wedding–to date are from out-of-state, “providing a measurable boon to Hawaiʻi tourism.”

According to a UCLA Williams Institute infographic produced in October 2013, “Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Hawai’i could affect nearly 54,000 LGBT individuals and more than 3,000 couples living in the state. It would also bring up to $217 million to the state economy.”

Photo courtesy Maui Visitors Bureau.

The two businesses have since jointly produced a two-minute video entitled, “Marriage is For Everyone, Say I Do On Maui,” celebrating Maui as a destination for same-sex marriage.

In November 2013, Judge Karl Sakamoto issued a ruling in support of the newly passed law, in response to a challenge that was filed by opponents seeking court intervention to prevent its implementation.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the state has since filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which is scheduled to be heard on January 29, 2014.