May 1997 – Hawaii Becomes the First State to Offer Domestic Partnership Benefits to Same-Sex Couples

“Hawaii becomes the first state to mandate statewide domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples. Called ‘Reciprocal Beneficiaries,’ these benefits cover less than 60 items (the law seems to be ambiguous on the exact number) and are offered only through certain businesses, some of which complained that the state has no business dictating employee policies. The Hawaii attorney general declared that she would not enforce the requirement for private employers to offer benefits.”