New Hampshire House Rejects Gay Marriage Ban

The advocate reports: The New Hampshire house of representatives rejected a proposed ballot initiative to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

House members voted against the initiative by a margin of 201-135 Wednesday afternoon. Supporters needed the votes of 60% of house members to get the initiative on the ballot, according to the Associated Press. The state legislature last year passed a marriage equality bill, which went into effect January 1.

According to the Union-Leader newspaper, sponsors of the initiative attempted to delay the vote until March 17, but that move was also rejected.

If the initiative had ended up on the ballot in November, it would have needed the approval of two thirds of voters to pass.

A New Year Brings A New Law for Lesbian & Gay Couples in NH

In New Hampshire, Gay and Lesbian couples were lined up outside the state's capital building to marry at midnight on Jan. 2, 2010, when New Hampshire became the fifth US state to allow same-sex marriage.

At midnight on Thursday, same-sex couples in New Hampshire joined Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa in their right to marry.

Couples already in civil unions have three options to convert their statuses to marriages. They can have marriage ceremonies, file marriage paperwork with their town clerks to convert their statuses during 2010 or wait until the unions are automatically converted in 2011.

Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who personally opposes gay marriage, signed the legislation after lawmakers passed key language affirming religious rights. The law spells out that churches and religious groups can't be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services.he New Year brought a new law to New Hampshire, where midnight ceremonies took advantage of the fact that gay marriage is now legal in the state. As 2010 dawned, a bill signed last June became law, and the Granite State joined Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont in recognizing same-sex unions. "I’m really glad it happened in our lifetimes," a 38-year-old bride told the Nashua Telegraph. "I didn’t know if it would."

"For all of us, it’s pretty significant,” said one of the new mothers-in-law. “I think it’s the final bridge they have to cross to feel like a family."

Source: Reuters

New Hampshire Passes Gay Marriage Bill

"If you have no choice as to your sex, male or female; if you have no choice as to your color; if you have no choice as to your sexual orientation; then you have to be protected and given the same opportunity for life, liberty and happiness."

These were the words of Rep. Anthony DiFruscia, R-Windham, during the hour long debate over New Hampshire's Same-Sex Marriage bill.

And with a 198-176 vote in the house, New Hampshire became the sixth US state to allow same-sex marriage. The bill has the approval of Governor John Lynch, who is expected to sign it later this afternoon.

Lynch, a Democrat, personally opposes gay marriage but decided to view the issue "through a broader lens."

Originally, Lynch said he would veto gay marriage if the law didn't "clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services."

The revised bill added a sentence specifying that all religious organizations, associations or societies have exclusive control over their religious doctrines, policies, teachings and beliefs on marriage.

It also clarified that church-related organizations that serve charitable or educational purposes are exempt from having to provide insurance and other benefits to same sex spouses of employees.

Vermont, Maine, Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts and now New Hampshire all have legalized same-sex marriage. The only remaining state in New England without marriage equality is Rhode Island where Governor Donald Carcieri supports the National Organization for Marriage. However, after being polled, the majority of citizens in Rhode Island do support same-sex marriage, so there is still hope.