§515-2 Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Age" means over the age of majority or emancipated minors.

"Commission" means the civil rights commission.

"Disability" means having a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, having a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. The term does not include current illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance or alcohol or drug abuse that threatens the property or safety of others.

"Discriminatory practice" means a practice designated as discriminatory under the terms of this chapter.

"Familial status" means the status of: a parent having legal custody of and domiciled with a minor child or children, a person who is domiciled with a minor child or children and who has written or unwritten permission from the legal parent, a person who is pregnant, or any person who is in the process of securing legal custody of a minor child or children.

"Gender identity or expression" includes a person's actual or perceived gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, regardless of whether that gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth.

"Housing accommodation" includes any improved or unimproved real property, or part thereof, which is used or occupied, or is intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied, as the home or residence of one or more individuals.

"National origin" includes the national origin of an ancestor.

"Person" refers to the definition of section 1-19 and includes a legal representative, partnership, receiver, trust, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, the State, or any governmental entity or agency.

"Real estate broker or salesperson" means a person, whether licensed or not, who, for or with the expectation of receiving a consideration, lists, sells, purchases, exchanges, rents, or leases real property, or who negotiates or attempts to negotiate any of these activities, or who purports to be engaged in these activities, or who negotiates or attempts to negotiate a loan secured or to be secured by a mortgage or other encumbrance upon real property, or who is engaged in the business of listing real property in a publication; or a person employed by or acting on behalf of any of these.

"Real estate transaction" includes the sale, exchange, rental, or lease of real property.

"Real property" includes buildings, structures, real estate, lands, tenements, leaseholds, interests in real estate cooperatives, condominiums, and hereditaments, corporeal and incorporeal, or any interest therein.

"Sexual orientation" means having a preference for heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality, having a history of any one or more of these preferences, or being identified with any one or more of these preferences. "Sexual orientation" shall not be construed to protect conduct otherwise proscribed by law.

"Steering" includes the practice of directing persons who seek to enter into a real estate transaction toward or away from real property in order to deprive them of the benefits of living in a discrimination-free environment. [L 1967, c 193, §2; HRS §515-2; am L 1976, c 159, §3; am L 1982, c 204, §8; am L 1983, c 124, §17; am L 1984, c 105, §1; am L 1989, c 386, §§4, 21; am L 1990, c 275, §2; am L 1992, c 33, §5 and c 171, §2; am L 2005, c 214, §2]