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October 01, 2008

Hawaii Gay Rights Activist Dies

William E. Woods, a gay rights advocate best known for founding Hawaii’s Gay and Lesbian Center, died September 28. He was 58.

Woods also founded and directed the Gay and Lesbian Education and Advocacy Foundation, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

“I gave him a lot of credit for the incredible energy he had,” Nancy Kern, said STD/AIDS prevention coordinator for Hawaii’s Health Department. “He was a tireless advocate."

Woods was the district chairman of the Democratic Party and head of the GLBT Caucus, and was also an advocate for same-sex marriage, according to the Bulletin.He ran unsuccessfully for the state house of representatives in 2006.  

Woods married Lance W. Bateman in 2003 in Canada. Bateman told the paper that the best memorial to Woods would be “to become or continue to be active in the fight for civil rights for everyone, [and] public health education in Hawaii.” (Kandice Day, The Advocate) 

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Gerry Takano
    Date posted: 2008-10-13 7:59 PM
    Hometown: Honolulu Hawaii currently in San Francisco

    Comment:

    Anyone born and reared in Hawaii, local white or non-white, realizes that the aloha we take for granted can be tarnished by homophobia in these diverse isles. I met Bill Woods years ago after moving to San Francisco from Honolulu and working on various national glbt historic preservation issues. Although he understood the importance of acknowledging and interpreting places and glbt spaces, mobilizing the local community to take on this type of project proved to be very difficult. Keenly aware of Hawaii's previous progressive record in civil liberties from the oligarchy of the plantation days to native Hawaiian issues, Bill knew that documented information about the glbt movement and struggles was sadly ignored. We will also remember Bill for his perserverance and hard work against the backlash of Hawaii's hateful minority who have settled into the islands seeking to implant their own biases and prejudices. Bill fought for the quiet and often silent locals.


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