Posted on: Friday, August 20, 2004

Big Isle candidate planning same-sex wedding in Canada

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — A Libertarian candidate running for the state House from Puna has announced he will travel to Canada next week to marry his gay partner.

Dennis Triglia, 50, said he and Richard Charboneau, 50, are planning a civil ceremony in Vancouver on Aug. 28.

The two have been together nine years. Canada allows same-sex unions.

Triglia, a research biologist, is running for the District 4 House seat held by Democrat Helene Hale.

Hawai'i voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 1998 allowing the Legislature to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

In a statement released yesterday, Triglia criticized Hawai'i's refusal to recognize same-sex unions. "Discrimination in civil marriage in Hawai'i remains a profound barrier to achieving complete equality," he said. "Is aloha just a tourist myth? It's a shame that we must fly to Canada to be legally wed without our dear friends and family present, but we just can't wait any longer for the Hawai'i State Legislature in an election year to move on this issue."

Triglia told The Advertiser that if he is elected, he will try to get lawmakers to revisit the issue.