Hearing on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Bill

There is a hearing on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in room 229 on some bills of interest to community associations before the Senate Judiciary Committee before Chair, Sen. Colleen Hanabusa. The hearing notice discusses the following bills of interest to community associations:

SB 1715 HD1 This bill adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the category of protected classifications in the residential real property transactions. Sexual orientation is currently a protected classification under the State fair employment laws. The bill would mean that Hawaii condo associations would be subject to claims for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill vaguely defines gender identity as something that:

includes a person's actual or perceived gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, regardless of whether that gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth.

Persons wishing to testify should submit 25 copies of their testimony, three-hole punched, to the committee clerk, Room 227, State Capitol, 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony may also be faxed if less than 5 pages in length, to the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Office at 586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659 (toll free for neighbor islands), at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. When faxing, please indicate to whom the testimony is being submitted, the date and time of the hearing, and the required number of copies needed for submittal.