The occasion was that Hawaii State Bill 444, legalizing civil unions in the state, had come to Governor Lingle's desk. Equality Hawaii was required to obtain Special Use Permit and proof of liability insurance (which cost the group $300 according to Cox) in order to hold a July 6th rally at the Hawaii state capital in support of 444. As described by Cox, the permit obtained specified where Equality Hawaii could hold its rally, and the number of people who could participate.

On the day of the rally, July 6th, hundreds of opponents of 444, mainly from Hawaii evangelical churches, showed up and were allowed to hold a non-permitted rally that displaced Equality Hawaii from an area specified in its permit, the first floor of the capital building.

Led by International Transformation Network Chairman Francis Oda (top New Apostolic Reformation apostle Ed Silvoso is ITN's director), the anti-444 protestors were allowed by security officials to displace pro-444 Equality Hawaii protestors from the first floor of the state house building, and anti-444 protesters were even allowed up to the 5th floor of the building, where they proceeded to sing, chant and blow rams' horns while Governor Lingle invited select members of the anti-444 group into her office, for prayer, before Lingle vetoed the bill. As Cox described, media were excluded from the prayer ceremony.

As Carroll Cox emphasized, the noisy non-permitted anti-444 rally was held within the state house on a working day. In effect governor Lingle sent a very clear message - Hawaiians opposed to LGBT rights had special privileges, while pro-444 activists were 2nd-class citizens.

In the lead up to the election, Talk To Action heavily covered the 2010 Hawaii governor's election, in which Neil Abercrombie eventually beat then-Hawaii Lt. Governor James "Duke" Aiona by a landslide. On February 23, 2011, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the Hawaii Civil Unions Bill into law.