Hawaii Legislature Passes Transgender Civil Rights Bill

Good news from Hawaii! The legislature has put finishing touches on passing HB 546, a bill to prohibit discrimination in employment based on gender identity or expression, with a vote of 22-2 in the State Senate, following an earlier vote of  42-4 in the State House. Hawaii law already banned discrimination in public accommodations and housing on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Governor Neil Abercrombie earlier this year signed a civil unions bill into law, and has said he will sign this measue into law, as well, making Hawaii the 13th state to ban employment discrimination based on gender identity, some 20 years after the state banned employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.