Establishing a shield law to protect gender-affirming care, expanding gender markers on birth certificates, and mandating an accurate count of hate crimes in Hawaiʻi are some of the top priorities advocates are urging lawmakers to focus on during the 2026 legislative session.
This comes after a slew of executive orders from President Donald Trump have banned transgender people from the military, revoked federal diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and tried to end gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old.
Michael Golojuch Jr., the vice chair of the Hawaiʻi State LGBTQ+ Commission, said the commission is trying to strengthen protections in Hawaiʻi.
“We’ve come a long way,” Golojuch said.
The state Legislature is in the second half of its biennial, which means bills could pick up where they left off or be reintroduced by lawmakers in 2026.
The top priority that advocates are pushing for is safeguarding individuals from other states seeking gender-affirming care in Hawaiʻi.
Hawaiʻi has a similar shield law for abortion care after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
About 14 states have created shield laws for gender-affirming care. Arizona, New Jersey and Delaware have issued executive orders protecting access to transgender health care.
If lawmakers pass a shield law measure, people coming to Hawaiʻi seeking gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide such care will be protected from legal punishment.
“The shield law will protect us from any hostile actions from a conservative state,” Golojuch said.
On Nov. 20, dozens attended the Transgender Day of Remembrance at Capitol Modern in Downtown Honolulu. Some people wrote poems while others brought flowers to remember their friends whose lives were lost to violence.
Another top priority for the upcoming legislative session is to mandate an accurate count of hate crimes in Hawaiʻi.
The state’s hate crime law was enacted in 2001 and then amended two years later to add a provision for gender identity.
But advocates want to update it.
“We do not actually keep accurate numbers when it comes to hate crimes in the state of Hawaiʻi,” Golojuch said. “The only time something will be logged down as a hate crime is if they catch the perp, they prosecute the perp, and then they use enhanced sentencing.”
The commission has a list of measures it’s planning to advocate for, except mandating privately funded health insurance policies offered in Hawaiʻi to cover gender-affirming care procedures.
“We're not moving forward with that one at this time because of the hostile nature of the federal government,” Golojuch said.
Legislative measures are currently being drafted. Some will be in the governor’s legislative package while others will be introduced by individual lawmakers in the House and Senate.
The legislative session begins on Jan. 21.
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