After weeks of speculation and stalling, Hawaii’s Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed House Bill 444, which would have legalized civil unions in the state. But while Lingle’s decision denied gay couples in the state access to the same rights straight couples enjoy, hypocrisy and hate toward the gay community is fading fast.

Already five states and the District of Columbia recognize some form of gay marriage, and political battles over the issue are waged across the country.

“We are seeing more and more people becoming aware of the issue about the inequalities that go along with the absence of same-sex marriage,” said Lowell Kane, program coordinator for Texas A&M GLBT Resource Center. “This includes over 1,100 federal rights that are denied to gay couples.”

Although more and more voters are pushing pre-conceived prejudices toward homosexuality out of their heads at the ballots every election, opponents have tried to pass laws and amendments to stall equality for another minority in America.

“The war has been won, it’s now just the little battles we are facing,” Kane said. “We will absolutely see marriage equality in the very near future.”

For those in Hawaii anxiously awaiting civil rights, soon might not seem soon enough. But Hawaii’s struggle with same-sex unions over the past 20 years shows the progress gays have made. Even the anti-gay rhetoric of opponents like Lingle has been watered down to politically correct nonanswers.

“The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day,” Lingle told the Associated Press in her news conference. “It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials.”

Ironically, Lingle has a problem with elected officials making decisions for their constituents, while in the same breath making a decision overruling the larger, more representative legislative branch. Lingle also stated the civil unions proposed by the bill was gay marriage by another name, the obvious definition of civil unions.

Slowly the country is extending marriage rights by any name on a state-by-state basis. But equality across the nation cannot come quickly enough for those affected by discrimination. Unfortunately, enforcing the Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution is no guarantee. While the clause requires states to recognize laws and rulings of other states, including marriage, it could take years before a ruling forces every state to recognize gay marriage.

“For example let’s say I get married in Massachusetts, which recognizes same-sex marriage, and then travel back to Texas. Here in Texas my marriage would not be recognized,” Kane said. “Potentially it would take a challenge at the state level up to the fifth circuit and up to the United States Supreme Court, so it could be quite a long period we are talking about if that’s the route.”

Understandably gay rights activists and supporters are incensed by coming so close to achieving marriage equality in another state, but the writing is on the wall, or at least on the House Bill 444. Already Mexico City and Argentina have recognized some form of gay marriage. Progress has been made for gay rights by changing the hearts and minds of Americans. Lingle can buy time with her veto, but it is only a matter of time before the U.S. catches up with the rest of the world.