Hawaii state Rep. Jo Jordan, who is
openly gay, rose Friday to explain her vote against a gay marriage
bill which later cleared the chamber.
(Related: Gay
marriage bill clears Hawaii House.)
Jordan is the first openly gay lawmaker
to vote against such legislation.
She said during the bill's second
reading that she felt the bill's religious exemptions were too
narrow.
She repeated that claim on Friday,
adding that “I was put on this path for some reason, and I'm not
going to ask why.”
“I'm not held to any specific
conviction but I do have certain beliefs that I hold near and dear.
And in this process I have been shown so much love by a community I
thought hated me,” Jordan tearfully told colleagues on the House
floor. “And I found so much hate in a community that I thought
embraced me. See Mr. Speaker, I have no hate for them.”
Later she added: “I'm sorry to the
GLTB community. I walked in this place three years ago asking my
community, I don't want to be the poster child. I've become the
poster child. And I accept that.” (The video is embedded on this
page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
The Hawaii Senate is expected to give
its final approval to the bill on Tuesday.
(Related: Sen.
Clayton Hee predicts easy sailing in Hawaii Senate for gay marriage
bill.)