State and local officials in Hawaii have responded to a proposed government travel ban to 20 states because of blocked access to abortion services or gender-affirming care.
The proposed ban on publicly funded trips by government workers was requested by 11 local activist organizations and was sent to the governor, county mayors, the Department of Education superintendent and the University of Hawaii president.
“Governor (Josh) Green is out of state on business, in a state that is not on the proposed list,” said Green’s Director of Communications Makana McClellan. “His team is reviewing the communication from the advocacy groups. Meanwhile, the governor’s administration has taken decisive stances upholding reproductive rights and steadfastly supports the LGBTQIA+ community.”
A representative for Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth stated the administration has not had time to review the proposed ban yet, but provided a comment.
“Our administration remains committed to ensuring equitable, quality health care for all on Hawaii Island, regardless of race, gender, ethnic make-up or socioeconomic status,” the statement said. “We would like to thank our on-island health care providers, our first responders, and our community at large for never wavering on that commitment.”
A statement from University of Hawaii officials added: “UH is just one state agency, and this type of decision would have to be made at a higher level.”
The ban was proposed by The Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, one of the state’s largest and oldest LGBTQIA+ political organization.
“We have a proud tradition here in Hawaii of protecting minority communities,” said Michael Golojuch Jr., Stonewall Caucus chair and campaign coordinator. “So, we shouldn’t be using taxpayer dollars to fund those states while putting our government employees in harm’s way.”
Organizations supporting the ban include the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, and the Women’s March Hawaii Chapter, among others.
In 2016, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell did enact a ban on city officials from taking nonessential, publicly funded trips to North Carolina and Mississippi as a response to certain laws aimed at LGBTQIA+ individuals.
“Unfortunately, we sent similar requests out in 2016 when North Carolina and Mississippi were doing their trans bathroom bans,” Golojuch said. “Luckily, (Caldwell) was able to rescind the travel ban when they rescinded their attacks on the trans community.”
The organizations have three main goals with the ban: to ensure state and county employees don’t lose access to health care when representing Hawaii on the mainland; to ensure transgender and nonbinary state or county employees are not put in harm’s way by their employer; and to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund states that attack women’s rights, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other minority groups.
“It sends a message loud and clear that Hawaii will not support states that do not support the LGBTQIA community or access to health care,” Golojuch said. “This isn’t just an LGBTQIA issue, this isn’t just a women’s rights issue either, this is an issue for all of us.”
States included in the proposed ban are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
The selection was based on travel warnings issued by other national organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, and the League of United Latin American Citizens, among others.
“We’re lucky we get to live in Hawaii, where we have some of the best protections when it comes to public accommodations,” Golojuch said. “But that’s just not the case in some of these states.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.