According to my Hawaii-based bud, Gabbard, known in some circles as Krishna Katha das, has been a long-time follower of a guru named Chris Butler, aka Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, who runs an organization called The Science of Identity Foundation. (Butler was initiated into the Hare Krishna cult by the founder, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and starting around 1977, he took his followers out of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and formed his own splinter Hare Krishna cult.)  

"Butler's cult has had a number of names, but they have used `The Science of Identity Foundation' for a long time. He has followers around the world, including in California, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Phillipines, and has many business interests. He or his devotees own a large health food store chain here in Hawaii called `Down to Earth.' And, he and his wife have a business selling yoga equipment, music, DVDs etc at http://www.wailana.com/. Notably, Butler and his cult are extremely homophobic."

While both Gabbard and his wife, Carol, have long denied that they are or have been affiliated with this cult, Carol was on the Science of Identity Foundation Board of Directors, listed as "Director/Secretary" in 1998 and 1999 on the group's IRS 990 forms. An article about Gabbard in the August 2004 issue of Honolulu Magazine found both Mike and Carol listed in Polk Directories as employees of the Science of Identity Foundation. In addition, for several years, Carol Gabbard produced Butler's Cable Access Channel television program "Jagad Guru Speaks."  

Although Gabbard now "publicly claims to be a Roman Catholic, he has admitted that he still practices `Bhakti Yoga,' another name for Krishna Consciousness."

Over the years, Gabbard "has received a lot of support from fundamentalist Christians. That happened during the campaign against gay marriage in Hawaii in the 1990s and in his campaigns for elective office. The teachings of the cult are incompatible with Christian teachings and in his public access cable TV show, `Jagad Guru Speaks,' has expressed some contempt for the Christian and Mormon religions."

So why did the Hawaii Democratic Party, whose platform has specific planks regarding equal rights for lesbians and gays -- and also about reproductive rights - welcome Gabbard with open arms? U.S. Senator Dan Akaka, who was present at the press conference where Gabbard announced his decision, said: "I look upon him as a caring person, one who cares about people. So he has joined the `people's party.' I look upon the Democratic Party as one that tries hard to serve people." Gabbard's daughter, Tulsi, is an aide to Akaka.

At the signing of his Democratic Party of Hawaii card at party headquarters Gabbard said that he could "be much more effective as a legislator being a member of the majority party, and that's what it's all about."

(For one of the nuttiest Hawaiian anti-gay websites, see "Mel's Internet Universe" @ http://macprohawaii.blogspot.com/2009/04/cancer-of-same-sex-marri age-civil.html.)

The last word from my friend in Hawaii: "I think Civil Unions is pretty much dead in Hawaii for this year.  The reporter, Derrick DePledge, who has been doing most of the coverage for the Honolulu Advertiser has a blog at http://thenotebook.honadvblogs.com/. DePledge is also Tweeting.  Looks like the Hawaii Family Forum (a Focus on the Family affiliate) is also urging antis to pack the Hawaii Senate gallery, wearing red, "just in case."