Blake Oshiro
Encyclopedia
Blake Oshiro is an American
politician, currently serving as Majority Leader
of the Hawaii House of Representatives
. He represents District 33, comprising the Honolulu neighborhoods of Aiea and Halawa
. He was first elected to the seat in 2000, taking office the following January.
Oshiro came out as gay
during the debate over Hawaii House Bill 444
, which granted civil union
rights to same-sex couples in Hawaii. He subsequently faced a socially conservative primary challenger in his 2010 race for reelection, Honolulu City Councilman Gary Okino. Oshiro defeated Okino by 56 percent to 44%. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Oshiro was reelected over Republican opponent Sam Kong by a margin of 54.5% to 45.5%.
Oshiro is the only openly LGBT
member of the Hawaii State Legislature, although he was not the first. That distinction belongs to Joe Bertram
(D-Maui), who was defeated for re-election in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, currently serving as Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
of the Hawaii House of Representatives
Hawaii House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...
. He represents District 33, comprising the Honolulu neighborhoods of Aiea and Halawa
Halawa, Hawaii
Halawa is a census-designated place in the ‘Ewa District of Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. Halawa Stream branches into two valleys: North and South Halawa; North Halawa is the larger stream and fluvial feature. Their confluence is within the H-3/H-201 highways exchange. Most of Halawa...
. He was first elected to the seat in 2000, taking office the following January.
Oshiro came out as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
during the debate over Hawaii House Bill 444
Hawaii House Bill 444
House Bill 444 was a 2009 bill of the Hawaii State Legislature, passed in April 2010 and vetoed by Governor of Hawaii Linda Lingle, that would have legalized civil unions for couples in the state of Hawaii...
, which granted civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
rights to same-sex couples in Hawaii. He subsequently faced a socially conservative primary challenger in his 2010 race for reelection, Honolulu City Councilman Gary Okino. Oshiro defeated Okino by 56 percent to 44%. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Oshiro was reelected over Republican opponent Sam Kong by a margin of 54.5% to 45.5%.
Oshiro is the only openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
member of the Hawaii State Legislature, although he was not the first. That distinction belongs to Joe Bertram
Joe Bertram
Joe Bertram III is an American politician from the Hawaiian island of Maui, currently serving as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives. A Democrat, he represents the 11th district in south Maui, which includes the communities of Wailea-Makena and Kihei, his hometown. He was a candidate...
(D-Maui), who was defeated for re-election in 2010.