Supporters of a civil unions bill that's dead for this legislative session vowed yesterday to take up cause again in January, but conceded they are in for an uphill battle.

"I don't know where we're headed," said Cecilia Fordham, a member of the board of Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, alluding to the state Senate's surprising actions on Thursday.

First, the necessary 10 out of 25 senators pulled the bill from the state Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, where it had been stuck since February.

Then, by a 16-9 vote, senators voted to amend the bill, a procedure that effectively stopped the bill from moving forward this year because the deadline for amending bills had passed.

Finally, in what was then a moot action so far as this year goes, the Senate voted 19-5, with one excused, to approve the amended bill. It remains alive, but cannot gain passage this year.

Fordham and others said the chances for the bill's passage in 2010 could be diminished because it is an election year. In 1998, Hawai'i voters passed a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature the power to define marriage as between a man and woman.

"I don't think it's going to be an easy year next year," said Fordham, who supports the civil unions bill. "With it being an election year, I don't see anything happening. But I don't think it just going to go away.

"This is what it is. And it's going to keep coming back until something happens to make it fair."

One worried bill supporter was following the Legislature's action yesterday from as far away as China.

"I am concerned that being an election year it won't happen next session," said Pamela Lichty, who was in Shanghai vacationing with her husband, Don Lichty.

"On the other hand I would hope that our legislators would take heart from what's happening in New England, where they seem to have the political courage to pass not only civil unions but outright same-sex marriage bills," she said.

Elenoa Fuka of Manoa, who opposes civil unions, was pleased about the outcome yesterday.

"Yes, I was happy about it," she said. "It was evident that the supporters of the bill were aware that the whole purpose of passing a bill like that would eventually be to allow (same-sex) marriage in Hawai'i.

"From the beginning we heard, 'No, this bill isn't about marriage, it's about equality — giving people equal rights.' And with the amendment yesterday it was very evident that it was a marriage bill."

Fuka added that the law as it stands now includes reciprocal benefits that allow gay people to have the same rights as married couples. If the issue is really about benefits, why not amend the reciprocal beneficiary relationship law, she asked.

However, bill proponents such as Lichty weren't buying that argument.

"As I understand it, the reciprocal beneficiaries law has very few rights and privileges," she said. "And there are something like 400 rights and privileges that accrue to people who are able to be married.

"I think our society is moving in the direction of equality. It's about time we do that for everybody."