Honolulu Mayor ‘Steers Clear’ of Gay Marriage

Just got finished talking to Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, who said he will continue to not take a public position on gay marriage.

More than 75 of his colleagues at the U.S. Conference of Mayors last week in Washington D.C. rolled out the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry initiative, but Carlisle wasn’t on the list.

After a press conference Tuesday, Carlisle said he’d comment today. True to his word, he called Inside Honolulu on the telephone and answered questions.

“My answer to that is the same as it was when I was running for prosecutor and then for mayor,” he said. ”This is not a subject matter that my opinion makes any difference on.

“I steer clear of discussing that issue and have no opinion to offer on it.

“It’s a divisive issue in which both sides are completely entrenched with no likelihood of compromise. It’s an emotional issue for many in the community, and there’s no reason for me to burden the operations of the City and County of Honolulu with my taking a position on it.”

Carlisle said he didn’t remember the issue coming up during his trip to the nation’s capital, but that lots of people with lots of different agendas were approaching him from all angles during his stay.

During his time in Washington, Carlisle also sat down with Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff to talk about the Honolulu rail project, drawing him away from the mayors’ meeting for a spell.

Hawaii recently enacted a law that enables homosexual couples to enter into civil unions, but does not allow gay marriage.