PDHblog
This is a place for members of Progressive Democrats of Hawai‘i to express their thoughts
and exasperations about political happenings. The opinions and views are not necessarily
those of PDH's steering committee or membership as a whole.

As I analyze my own thoughts and feelings regarding the imminent acceptance of Mike Gabbard into the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, I find myself asking the following questions: How much does one’s past actions and beliefs affect their current position in the political spectrum? What can we learn from history and when is it time to leave history behind us?

As a short answer, I do believe that one’s history of actions and beliefs ARE relevant in the present. However, people do change, and it is important to keep an open mind. That said, when there is a radical shift in a politician’s beliefs, I think it is prudent to remain skeptical and let actions speak louder than words.

To me, the name “Mike Gabbard” is synonymous with intolerance of the gay community. Yet, a lot has happened since he lead the charge in support of a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the founder of the “Alliance for Traditional Marriage.” To understand the significance of Gabbard’s switch to the Democratic Party less than a year after he was elected to the state senate as a Republican, I am going to attempt to put together a timeline of his political activities from the 90’s to the present. This will be a work in progress and I will be relying on web searches, so I may miss important aspects. If you have information that you think should be included, please feel free to add a comment.
Political Seats & Campaigns:

• 2000: Wife Carol elected to Board of Education
• 2002: elected to the Honolulu City Council in a nonpartisan race; served from 2003-2005
• 2002: Daughter Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo elected to the State House of Representatives
• 2004: ran unsuccessfully in a race as a Republican against Democrat Ed Case for the Second Congressional District of Hawaii in the United States House of Representatives. (HawaiiThreads discussion) A key issue in this race was their differing positions on gay marriage. In Gabbard’s own words. Email tit for tat recorded on HawaiiReporter. Analysis of campaign funding in Hawaii Island Journal. Commentary in Haleakala Times.
• 2006: defeated retired Honolulu police captain George Yamamoto by a 56% to 44% margin to represent West Oahu’s District # 19 in the Hawaii State Senate. (HawaiiThreads discussion, Newsletters, In The News)

Organizations founded by Mike Gabbard:

Stand Up for America (2001)– Stand Up For America (SUFA) is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization that strives to promote unity and patriotism, increase our awareness of our identity as citizens of one nation under God, and instill a sense of duty and commitment on both an individual and community level.

Healthy Hawaii Coalition (2001) — Healthy Hawai‘i Coalition is a 501(c)3 non-profit, educational organization made up of concerned citizens from across the state, whose two-fold purpose is to protect the environment and to improve individual and community health.

Alliance for Traditional Marriage (1996) — the mission of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values was to “defend and strengthen the institutions of marriage and family” in the state. The group also actively recruits legislative candidates who campaign on its values. The Alliance For Traditional Marriage reported spending $114,618.15 in support of a constitutional amendment regarding the legislature’s ability to define marriage.

Stop Promoting Homosexuality International (1990’s)

Religion:

As stated on Mike Gabbard’s official website, Gabbard “is perhaps best known locally and nationally for his leadership role in the eight-year battle to protect traditional marriage, which culminated in the passage of a constitutional amendment ratified by 70% of the people in Hawaii in 1998.” Much of the rhetoric used in that “battle” was based in scripture. While Gabbard states that he is Catholic, he has been reported to be a follower of Chris Butler of the Science of Identity foundation (alternate view). It really doesn’t matter to me what religion Gabbard follows, but what does matter to me is that there is a clear separation of church and state. According to an article by Chad Blair in the Honolulu Weekly, 1999, Gabbard clearly wants religion to fundamentally influence government.” Does he still feel that way?

Quotes:

[Note: All of the oldest newspaper sources require a subscription or one-time payment to see full text. Quotes below are only from freely available sources.]

“Gabbard opposed the state law that prohibits discrimination of gays in employment. ” ‘Special rights’ should not be given on the basis of sexual orientation and behavior,” he said.” Star Bulletin, 11/6/98

“Homosexual activists are still trying to legalize same-sex marriage by calling it another name, ‘civil unions,’” Gabbard said. “The people of Hawaii will not let these extremists force their values and same-sex marriage down our throats,” he said. Star Bulletin, 12/05/00

“Legally sanctioning so-called “homosexual marriage” is a blatant attempt to normalize homosexual behavior, to change the hearts and minds of the American people so that we will not just tolerate by accept homosexuality as normal and natural.” [clip] … “We have won this battle, but homosexual activists and their supporters are not going to give up. They will continue to fight. They will challenge the amendment. They will spread propaganda through the media that this is a civil rights issue, when in fact it is not.” [clip] … ” We bear no ill-will against those who identify themselves as homosexuals. In fact, based on the testimonies of thousands of “ex-gay” men and women who have successfully left the homosexual lifestyle, we sincerely extend a message of hope and love to those who are presently addicted to this tragic behavior.” Op-Ed printed in Washington for Traditional Values by Mike Gabbard, 05/05/97

“Gabbard said that in talking to thousands of people in their homes, “it really hit home to me how these were our people - our family. … The idea of pro-homosexual activism is totally alien to the Hawaiian culture.”‘ Concerned Women for America, 11/21/02

““I am accused of being a hatemonger, but I’ve never given anyone AIDS,” said Mike Gabbard, founder and chairman of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values who opposes same-sex marriage on moral and religious grounds.
“Homosexuals on the other hand, supposedly the great lovers of mankind, continue to engage in activities that are ripping each other apart physically and mentally.”” [clip] … “He supports the Bush government’s push for an amendment to the Constitution because “religion should not be entirely ignored by government.” “The problem I’ve seen when (separation of church and state) is brought up is that many times people who have deeply held religious and moral beliefs are treated like second-class citizens,” he said. “The fact is, on public policy issues, all ideas should be brought to the table and welcomed during discussions and debates.” AAJAlink, 6/23/06