HONOLULU (AP) - A federal judge has ruled against two Hawaii women who want to get married instead of enter into a civil union.

The ruling Wednesday handed a victory to opponents of gay marriage. It sided with Hawaii's health director and Hawaii Family Forum, a Christian group.

The ruling says lawmakers and the people should decide whether to allow same-sex marriage.

The lawsuit by Natasha Jackson and Janin Kleid argues they need to be married in order to get certain federal benefits. Co-plaintiff Gary Bradley wants to marry his foreign national partner to help him change his immigration status. Their lawyer plans to appeal.

The case put Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the unusual position of both being a defendant in the lawsuit and supporting the women's claims. The governor says a same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.

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