ACLU sues city in parade rejection
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer
The American Civil Liberties Union yesterday sued Honolulu for excluding gay groups from the city's Family Day "Kid's Parade," a parade sponsored by the Hawaii Christian Coalition.
Brent White, legal director of the ACLU of Hawai'i, said Thursday that there's "an unbelievable amount of evidence" to show that the city is co-sponsoring the parade, and if that's the case, then the city can't discriminate against people who wish to take part.
"To the extent that the parade can appropriately be characterized as government co-sponsored or as a joint venture between the government and a private actor, the First and Fourteenth amendments prohibit any effort to exclude plaintiffs from the parade because of their sexual orientation or their message," the ACLU said in its suit.
The suit was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court on behalf of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays-O'ahu, The Center, and the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Family Network.
A hearing on the matter has been set for 3 p.m. Tuesday before U.S. District Court Judge Helen Gillmor.
White said the ACLU also asked for a court order to allow the three gay groups to march in the parade on July 5.
Michael Golojuch Jr., project coordinator for PFLAG-O'ahu, said he had been twice denied a marching spot in the parade by the Hawaii Christian Coalition, the first time on a technicality and the second time "because we're a gay organization."
The second rejection mentioned that the Christian group was honoring "the military and the children of traditional families," and that it has had a longtime policy against same-sex and transgendered families, he said.
The Hawai'i Christian Coalition's state chairman, Garret Hashimoto, said his group does have that belief.
"We believe in the traditional family," he said. "It was quoted on the rules that we did not want any politicking and promoting of agendas. We wanted it to be a kids' parade, and that's what it is. ... We didn't feel they fit the theme of the parade. It's just for children and military. I feel they just want to promote the gay and lesbian agenda, when they have their own parade the week before. They're just trying to be disruptive."
Family Day is a daylong series of events being held in Waikiki on July 5, including a parade.
"The Christian Coalition approached the city with the concept of adding a parade to the Fourth of July activities," said Malcolm Tom, the city's deputy managing director.
He said the city is the umbrella organization for Family Day but denied that it is sponsoring the parade.
The city has included the parade in its advertising, listed it on the city's Web site and is providing "logistical support," he said.
Tom said all parades are private, and the city follows the same procedure for the Kamehameha Day parade, the Pan Pacific Parade and the Honolulu Festivals Parade."We don't determine who's in or out of (any) parade," he said. There are six co-sponsors, he added.
Tom said he has no comment on the lawsuit because he has not seen it.
Golojuch said the city is endorsing the message being sent by the Christian group by giving the Christian groups more than just logistical support, but also meeting space, vehicle use and advertising.
The ACLU lawsuit said city support of other parades tends to stick to route coordination and the provision of police traffic control and protection during the parades.
