Lynch Again Promises to Veto Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch on Tuesday once again vowed to veto a bill that would repeal the state's marriage equality law.

"New Hampshire has a long and proud tradition of fighting for the rights of all of our people and a tradition of leaving people alone to pursue of happiness," he said in his last State of the State address that he delivered in Concord. "As governor, I intend to uphold that century’s old tradition. And I will stand firm against any legislation that would strip any of our citizens of their civil rights.”

It appears likely that lawmakers could potentially vote on House Bill 437 later this month, but a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October shows that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and other LGBT rights groups unveiled a television ad with Claremont resident Craig Stowell and his gay brother Calvin earlier this month. A second spot that features Stowell and his wife and Maxine Moore, a long-time Republican activist from Portsmouth, debuted on WMUR in late December.

Former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman also spoke out against HB 437 in an op-ed that the New Hampshire Union Leader published last Thursday.

Former RNC Chair Speaks Out Against N.H. Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

In an op-ed published in the New Hampshire Union Leader on Thursday, former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman urged state lawmakers to vote against a bill that would repeal the Granite State's marriage equality law.

"Stripping away the right of adults in New Hampshire to marry the person they love is antithetical to freedom," wrote Mehlman, who came out as gay in Aug. 2010. "If we really believe (and we should) that every citizen is endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness, shouldn’t this include the right to marriage? If we believe in limited government, how can we justify expanding the authority of the state to take away this most personal, fundamental right? Aren’t politicians already too involved in too much of our lives? Why would we want to expand government to such a personal space?"

Mehlman further stressed the state's marriage equality law "isn't just consistent with maximizing freedom."

"It also promotes responsibility, commitment and stability; it promotes family values," he wrote. "Again, our history provides a good road map: One of our party’s finest hours was the passage of welfare reform because it strengthened families and promoted marriage. Why would we want to take away this right from anyone?"

State lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on House Bill 437 earlier this month, but Republican House leaders postponed it until at least February.

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010, while 44 percent of respondents said they would consider voting against a lawmaker who were to support the repeal bill in Concord.

Mehlman is the latest Republican to come out against HB 437.

Claremont resident Craig Stowell and his gay brother, Calvin, appear in a television commercial that Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and other organizations unveiled earlier this month. A second spot that featured Stowell and Maxine Moore, a long-time Republican activist from Portsmouth, debuted on WMUR in late December.

O'Malley Introduces Marriage Equality Bill

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley formally introduced a marriage equality bill late on Monday.

O'Malley, who has said nuptials for same-sex couples is a legislative priority, put forth the measure at the start of the General Assembly's legislative session. He is scheduled to meet with same-sex couples at his Annapolis residence later this morning.

A marriage equality bill failed in the state Legislature last year, but Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler told an audience at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., last October that he expects the measure will pass this year.



Six states and the neighboring District of Columbia allow same-sex couples to legally marry. It appears likely that Washington will become the seventh state to allow gays and lesbians to the knot after state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen said she would support the measure.

Mayors to Pledge Support for Marriage Equality

Freedom to Marry announced on Wednesday that a bi-partisan group of mayors have pledged to support marriage for same-sex couples.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry will include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Houston Mayor Annise Parker. Several are scheduled to attend a press conference during the U.S. Conference for Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday where they will officially unveil the group.

Will Mayors for the Freedom to Marry amount to a game changer in the fight to secure nuptials for gays and lesbians?

A marriage equality bill was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature earlier this month, while Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on Jan. 4 that she supports a measure that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the Evergreen State. Maryland lawmakers are expected to debate a marriage equality bill in the coming weeks.

New Hampshire legislators are expected to vote on a bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law as early as next month. North Carolina voters in May will consider a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, while a similar measure is on the November ballot in Minnesota.

The influx of donations that the four Republican New York state senators received after they voted for their state’s marriage equality bill in June as reported in the New York Times is proof that supporting nuptials for same-sex couples is no longer a politically risky proposition. The mayors who will speak tomorrow here in Washington, D.C., will certainly strengthen that premise.

N.H. Lawmakers Delay Vote on Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

A leading New Hampshire Republican has confirmed that a vote on a bill that would repeal the state's marriage equality law has been delayed until at least next month.

"We must deal with some critical financial and economic-related legislation first, as well as legislative redistricting, prior to any discussion of gay marriage," House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) told the Eagle-Tribune. "It's critical to keep to keep legislative priorities in their proper order."

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010. Forty-four percent of respondents said they would consider voting against any legislator who supports HB 437.

The measure is expected to pass in the Republican-controlled state Legislature, but Gov. John Lynch, who signed the marriage equality law in 2009, has vowed to veto the bill. It remains unclear as to whether there are enough votes in both the House and Senate to override Lynch's promised veto.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and other organizations have stepped up their efforts against HB 437 in anticipation of an expected vote that multiple sources suggested could possibly happen next month. The groups unveiled a second television ad that features Craig Stowell, a Republican from Claremont, and his gay brother Calvin last week.

Video: Santorum Positions Himself As a "True Conservative"

Speaking to supporters at the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester late on Tuesday, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum positioned himself as a "true conservative" who can take on President Barack Obama in November.

"We have an opportunity to be the true conservative--a true conservative who can go out and do what's necessary not just to win this race. we can win this race," he said. "We need a conservative who understands that at the foundation of our country are institutions that are crucial for us to be a successful nation--families, families that are bounded together as the foundation, that instill virtue and faith in our children, to build strong communities and to build a great nation from the bottom up."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney easily won the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary with 39 percent of the vote. Santorum came in a distant fifth with nine percent, but he assured supporters that his campaign would continue onto South Carolina.

The social conservative faced increased scrutiny in the days leading up to the primary over his strong opposition to marriage for same-sex couples. A group of Occupy protesters labeled him a "bigot" as he, his wife and two of his children left a downtown Manchester campaign rally on Jan. 9. A woman asked Santorum at a Salem town hall earlier the same day whether his positions make him an electable candidate.

Joyce Haas, vice chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, said Santorum's statements have "been misunderstood" at the very least. She went so far to say that the social conservative would actually support civil unions for same-sex couples.

“I haven’t heard him say it in exactly those terms, but he does believe that for instance, every insurance, going into hospitals, inheritance rights," said Haas. "He supports those civil union type rights. The only thing that’s different is the 3,000 year institution of marriage being one man and one woman.”

Menendez Endorses Marriage Equality, DOMA Repeal Bill

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez endorsed marriage for same-sex couples in an op-ed that ran in the Star-Ledger on Sunday, Dec. 18.

“This comes down to an issue of fundamental fairness,” he wrote. “For me, this comes down to the principles I learned as the child of immigrants and that I cherish as an American: that we believe in equality for all people under the law.”

Menendez, who voted for the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, is the 32nd Senate sponsor of a bill that would repeal the Clinton-era law.

“Across our country, the attitudes of millions of Americans have changed on this issue and several states have acted to guarantee the freedom to marry to same-sex couples whose love for each other and life commitment to one another is no different from other couples,” he wrote. “These gay men and gay women defend our streets and our citizens as firefighters and police officers; they are small-business people who create jobs; they are teachers who prepare our children to compete in the future. And they are soldiers, Marines and sailors who have put their lives on the line for our country, fighting to protect our freedoms and to combat terrorists who threaten to attack us again.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee last month voted 10-8 to advance the DOMA repeal bill. A Human Rights Campaign and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll found that 51 percent of respondents oppose the Clinton-era law, but it remains unlikely that the DOMA repeal bill will pass during the current Congress.

Senate Committee Considers DOMA Repeal Bill

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a bill on Thursday, Nov. 3, that would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler introduced the measure in the House in March; while Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced a companion DOMA repeal measure in the Senate.

“Marriage is the true foundation for strong families," said Gillibrand. "Every loving, committed couple deserves the basic human right to get married, start a family, and have access to all the same rights and privileges that my husband and I enjoy. No politician should stand in the way of this fact."

The White House announced earlier this year that it will no longer defend DOMA in federal court. The committee held a hearing on the Clinton-era law in July, but the mark-up comes a week after eight current and retired gay servicemembers filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of DOMA in a federal court in Boston.

“Today is another step toward restoration of the traditional practice of having the federal government respect marriages lawfully celebrated by the states – and eliminating the gay exception that unfairly denies that equal treatment to loving and committed couples who have gotten legally married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “As the Senate Judiciary Committee considers this bill, we urge members to take into account the real harms families face because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and the burdens this departure from the usual way the federal government honors marriages imposes on businesses, employers, and others dealing with married couples.”

Romney Peppered with Marriage Questions at N.H. Town Hall

Those pesky New Hampshire voters peppered former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with questions about marriage for same-sex couples during a town hall in Hopkinton late on Monday, Oct. 10.

ABC News reported that Romney tried to dodge a question from a woman who said she was raised by two men and was offended by his assertion that children fare better when they are raised by man and a woman. “That’s really offensive to me and I just want to know why you feel it is not right for my dads to be able to walk down the aisle,” the woman reportedly said before a clearly uncomfortable Romney immediately sought to move onto another question.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in New Hampshire since Jan. 1, 2010, but Republican lawmakers are poised to try and repeal the law that Gov. John Lynch signed in 2009.

Lynch announced last month that he would not seek re-election.

Diane Savino speaks to marriage equality supporters

Speaking at Marriage Equality New York's annual gala in Manhattan on Thursday, May 19, state Sen. Diane Savino [D-Staten Island] said she remains optimistic that marriage equality could soon become a reality in the Empire State.

Savino said there are currently 26 pro-marriage equality votes in the state Senate, but 32 votes are needed to pass a marriage equality bill. "We need six more votes--Democrat or Republican," she said.

There are 15 working days left in the legislative session.

Brooklyn state senator surrenders to federal authorities

A case of another (potential closet case) hypocrite who falls hard?

New York State Sen. Carl Kruger [D-Brooklyn] surrendered to federal authorities earlier this morning for alleged corruption.

Kruger was one of the handful of Democrats—including disgraced former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate [D-Jackson Heights]—who voted against a bill in late 2009 that would have allowed gays and lesbians to marry in New York State. LGBT activists protested outside his Mill Basin home after the vote, and some even questioned Kruger’s sexual orientation.

New Hampshire lawmakers postpone votes on marriage equality repeal bills

The New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee announced earlier today it has postponed a votes on two bills that would repeal marriage for gays and lesbians in the Granite State.

It appears as though legislators would vote on these measures sometime early next year, which coincides with the state's presidential primary. My mother's infinite wisdom on this issue remains all too appropriate: Don't politicians have anything better to do than to stop someone from getting married? Mothers--and even soon-to-be-grandmothers like mine--continue to know best!

Obama administration will no longer defend DOMA

LGBT organizations are obviously applauding the Obama administration's announcement it will no longer defend a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act, but it is important to note same-sex couples in New York and 44 other states continue to wait for the opportunity to legally tie the knot.

Maryland lawmakers are poised to pass a marriage bill by the end of this week, while New Hampshire Republicans have introduced two measures that seek to repeal nuptials for gays and lesbians in the Granite State. Obama's announcement is a very welcome development. The struggle for marriage equality in the United States, however, is far from over.

Maggie goes to Concord

The National Organization for Marriage's Maggie Gallagher was among those who testified before the New Hampshire House’s Judiciary Committee today in support of two bills that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law.

One source described the NOM lightning rod in particularly unflattering terms as he described today’s proceedings in Concord, but it is important to note hundreds of marriage equality advocates also turned out for the hearing. I would also like to add my mother, who lives in Manchester, to the discussion. Don’t politicians have anything better to do than to stop someone from getting married? Sometimes mothers definitely know best!

Chile to extend legal protections to same-sex couples?

Is Chile poised to extend legal protections to same-sex couples?

Members of a right-wing political party have reportedly acknowledged same-sex couples in the South American country suffer discrimination. The Independent Democrat Union's 1991 and 2009 platforms explicitly define marriage as between a man and a woman, but neighboring Argentina allows gays and lesbians to the the knot. And Uruguay could potentially follow suit.

Is this reported potential overture a baby step towards equality for gay and lesbian Chileans? One Chilean gay rights group scoffed at the idea the IDU would encourage unmarried couples to formalize their unions as a means to strengthen traditional marriage.

"Here we are talking about the dignity of two million people who live together," said Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Movilh) in a statement posted to its Web site. "We are talking about love and its impact and the UDI wants to impose marriage as the only option for heterosexuals and in the process deny it--only based on homophobia--to homosexuals. Conservative visions like this, that correspond to religious interests, violate the secular state."

Judge to issue Prop 8 ruling today

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is scheduled to post his decision on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 later today, and activists around the country plan to hold demonstrations, rallies and other events to react to the ruling.

A rally is scheduled to take place outside New York City Supreme Court on Centre Street in lower Manhattan at 7 p.m. Marriage Equality New York's Web site has more information, but Rex Wockner continues to compile ever-growing list of rallies and other events around the country.

Argentine Senate passes marriage bill

The Argentine Senate approved a bill earlier this morning that would allow gays and lesbians to marry in the South American country.

The 33-27 vote came after 14 hours of debate. Activists in a Buenos Aires cheered and began to chant ‘igualdad’ or once legislators approved the measure.



President Cristina Férnandez de Kirschner has said she would not veto the measure, but Argentina would become the first South American country to sanction marriage for gays and lesbians.

Christie doomed NJ marriage vote

New Jersey activists continue to point the finger at incoming Gov. Chris Christie as the primary reason lawmakers defeated a bill earlier today that would have allowed marriage for same-sex couples.

Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal announced minutes after the state Senate voted 14-20 against the measure they would challenge the civil unions law in court. But GSE's Steven Goldstein was quick to maintain the election results made all the difference.

"We lost for one reason: Jon Corzine," he said. "Jon Corzine lost; Chris Christie won."

Indeed, Christie has repeatedly maintained he would veto any bill that would allow gays and lesbians to marry. And he reportedly pressured Republican lawmakers in both the state Assembly and Senate to oppose the measure--state Sen. Brian Baroni [R-Hamilton] is the only GOP legislator who voted in support of the bill.

"Christie is a politician," another political insider told Boy in Bushwick. "Christie is a professional politician and Corzine was not. And that made all the difference."

Politics is indeed local!

New Jersey lawmakers to vote on marriage bill

Activists remain optimistic about the prospects of marriage for same-sex couples in New Jersey in spite of the fact it appears unlikely a measure that will allow gays and lesbians to tie the knot in the Garden State will pass.

The state Senate is scheduled to vote on the measure later today in Trenton. The bill's sponsors successfully postponed a vote last month in order to garner additional support.

Today's vote comes less than a week after gays and lesbians began to legally marry in New Hampshire, roughly a month after the New York State Senate voted 36-24 against marriage and more than two months after Maine voters approved a referendum that overturned a law that had allowed same-sex couples to marry in the Pine Tree State. It appears likely marriage will not advance in New Jersey, but today's vote will almost certainly have implications for those within the national movement for LGBT rights as they contemplate a new strategy to advance relationship recognition around the country.

The (newly equal) state of marriage in New Hampshire

Less than 48 hours after gays and lesbians began to legally marry in New Hampshire, state Rep. Bob Thompson [D-Manchester] and Michael Jacobsen tied the knot at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester.

House Speaker Terie Norelli [D-Portsmouth] was among the dozens of people who braved blowing snow and increasingly treacherous roads to see Thompson and Jacobsen exchange vows.

"I was tearing up," she said at a reception at the Club Canadian on the city's West Side. "[I thought about] how proud I am to preside over a legislature that did the right thing."

New Hampshire lawmakers approved a bill last spring that allowed gays and lesbians to marry. Governor John Lynch signed it into law in June. And the Granite State is now the fifth state to allow marriage for same-sex couples.

As a native Granite Stater who grew up in the Queen City, I honestly never thought I would see the day a gay couple could legally marry in my hometown. I teared up inside the church last night as Bob and Michael exchanged vows and the Rev. David C. Boyer proudly proclaimed them married "under the authority invested in me by the state of New Hampshire." Their wedding was truly something to cherish. And I am thankful lawmakers in my home state stood up and did the right thing to allow committed and loving couples to enjoy the same recognition others in New Hampshire are able to enjoy through marriage.







The Rev. David C. Boyer presided over the wedding inside the Unitarian Universalist Church in Manchester.



Bob and Michael exchange their vows.



Paul and I inside the church.



The wedding cake.



The newlyweds cut their wedding cake.



Couples from across the Granite State dance in salute of Bob and Michael.



An arguably appropriate message inside Club Canadian.



Some of Bob and Michael's family and friends inside Club Canadian.



State Rep. Patrick Long [D-Manchester] wows wedding guests with some karaoke.



Leaving the Queen City late last night.