Marriage Fight Begins to Loom

August 22, 2019

The marriage equality movement ignites in Hawaii after a trial court determines that the state has no valid reason to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. To circumvent the ruling, the state legislature sends a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage to the voters.

The Gill Foundation makes its first marriage grant to support efforts in Hawaii. This launches the foundation’s decades-long investments in public education and high-impact litigation around marriage equality.

At the same time, the foundation previews a core focus on funding equality in the states, making its first grants to state-level advocacy organizations in Colorado and New Mexico.