Nicole Sanchez- Owner of  Behind The Lens Maui has been capturing Gay and Lesbian couples for over three years on the island of Maui. It’s pretty great to finally see something done about this.

HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an “emotional process” for a longtime battleground in the gay rights movement.

Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s office said he intends to sign the bill into law within 10 business days. Civil unions would begin Jan. 1, 2012, making the state the seventh in the nation to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.