Honolulu Won’t Fund Travel To NC, Miss.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell has joined a coalition called Mayors Against Discrimination that’s led by San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has banned city officials from taking “non-essential publicly-funded” trips to North Carolina and Mississippi in protest of the states’ that condone discrimination against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
The mayor’s decision is part of a national backlash against the anti-LGBT laws.
The New York Times reported that companies including PayPal in North Carolina, and mayors and governors from several states, including New York, have banned most government-sponsored travel there.
鈥淗opefully, common sense and our core American values of equality and tolerance will prevail in these states, allowing us to lift this moratorium,” Caldwell said in a press release.
Caldwell has joined a group called Mayors Against Discrimination made up of mayors from San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Oakland, Sante Fe, Washington, D.C., and Tampa.
Hawaii legalized same-sex marriage three years ago and is now promoting itself as a wedding destination for gay couples.
Michael Golojuch, Jr., chair of the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, issued a press release praising Caldwell and urging the Gov. David Ige and neighbor island mayors to follow suit.
鈥淭he LGBT Caucus asked Mayor Caldwell to protect our public employees and send a message loud and clear that the City and County of Honolulu doesn鈥檛 discrimination against the LGBT community and today he went above and beyond,” Golojuch wrote. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 travel ban is a victory for everyone that believes discrimination has no place in America.”
