Civil Unions Begin For Hawaii & Delaware

With the new year comes the enactment of civil unions for the residents of Hawaii and Delaware. Hawaii News Now tells of the first couples to take part there:

For Donna Gedge and Monica Montgomery, there was a lot of anticipation as they awaited the stroke of midnight -- and the law to take effect. "It's very high," said Montgomery. "We've been waiting a long time and now the night is finally here so it's really exciting." "I'm nervous," said Gedge. When asked how long she and Montgomery had been together, she replied, "We've been together for 33 years, so it's been a very long time." Lydia Pontin and Bonnie Limatoc-DePonte said they were ecstatic and happy, but also knew they were part of a historic occasion. "We are not doing this to hurt anybody. We are just doing this because we love each other," Pontin said. Limatoc-DePonte immediately added, "And we want to be able to live like everybody else and be able to have a life and have it together and enjoy. We are not trying to step on anybody's toes or anything."

RELATED: Five states now have civil unions: Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Delaware.