HONOLULU, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Four same-sex couples Sunday became the first to enter into civil unions under Hawaii's new law.
When the law went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on New Year's Day, Hawaii became the seventh state in the nation to provide for same-sex civil unions, KHON-TV, Honolulu reported.
Hawaii News Now reported the ceremony for the first four couples was held at a private residence in Aina Haina attended by about 90 people.
One couple, Donna Gedge and Monica Montgomery, have been together for 33 years.
"We've been waiting a long time and now the night is finally here so it's really exciting," Montgomery said.
Lydia Pontin and Bonnie Limatoc-DePonte said the occasion was one of joy.
"We are not doing this to hurt anybody. We are just doing this because we love each other," Pontin said.
Also recognizing there are those who oppose same-sex unions, Limatoc-DePonte said she an her partner just "want to be able to live like everybody else and be able to have a life and have it together and enjoy."
"We are not trying to step on anybody's toes or anything," she said.
Gary Bradley, who entered into civil union with Paul Perry, said they and the other couples wanted to make a statement by holding the joint ceremony.
"It's not just about us, but the other couples as well," Bradley.
The fourth couple were Saralynn Batt and Isajah Morales.
The ceremony, which took place at 1 a.m., was presided over by the Rev. Kyle Lovett of the Church of the Crossroads, the Rev. Jonipher Kwong of the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu and the Rev. Pam Vessels. After the couples exchanged vows and rings, the three officiants pronounced them "legally joined as partners in life."
The couples then kissed.
Two churches -- the Emmanuel Temple House of Praise in Wahiawa and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God in Waipahu -- had sued to head off the new law. But a federal judge denied the request Friday, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
