And Then There Were Six

[Martinus]

New Hampshire governor John Lynch announced Thursday that he will sign legislation to extend full marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples, making his state the fifth in New England to put such a law on the books.

However, Lynch has asked for some changes in the language before he goes on to officially sign the bill. The law would let religious organizations, and individuals affiliated with such groups, govern whether they would extend "services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges" based on marriage status. This includes married housing, religious counseling, and conducting wedding ceremonies. Furthermore, refusing such services would not provide a basis for legal action.

Speaking with lawmakers, religious leaders, and residents helped Lynch form his decision, as well as recent developments in neighboring New England states. The legislation would "simply change the term 'civil union' to 'civil marriage,'" which he says is a meaningful change.

"My personal views on the subject of marriage have been shaped by my own experience, tradition, and upbringing," he said in a statement on Thursday. "But as governor of New Hampshire, I recognize that I have a responsibility to consider this issue through a broader lens."

House Speaker Terie Norelli said the house will work with the senate to review the proposed revisions and make a decision based on the results. Results in both the house and senate were narrow. The senate passed the bill 13-11 in April and the house passed it by a vote of 186-179 last week.

Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said his organization was encouraged by the governor's words. "The governor has made clear that he will sign a bill that allows same-sex couples to marry while also protecting religious liberties," he said in a statement shortly following the announcement. "We thank the legislature for their efforts to date and the governor for his thoughtful deliberation. We urge the legislature to work with the governor to make this important bill a reality. This legislation will strengthen New Hampshire families and give meaning to the promise of equal rights for all."

Results of a poll released last week by New Hampshire Freedom to Marry show that 55% of state residents support marriage equality. However, a poll by Dartmouth College shows that 44.8% of registered voters oppose marriage equality while 40.8% support it.

Last week, Maine governor John Baldacci signed a marriage-equality bill following three other New England states -- Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut -- that have legalized marriages between gay and lesbian couples. Iowa's supreme court ruled in early April that restricting marriage to heterosexual couples was unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Californians are awaiting the supreme court's ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that put a halt to same-sex marriages in the state upon its passage and could jeopardize the 18,000 same-sex marriages that had already taken place there. The court has until June 3 to issue their decision.

The New York state assembly passed a bill on Tuesday that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The legislation is facing a roadblock in the senate, as Majority Leader Malcolm Smith says he will not put it to a vote unless he knows that it will pass.

[Caliga]

Marti beat me to it.  DAMN WORK MEETINGS 

[Sophie Scholl]

New York's government stalling things out and not functioning properly?!  Unpossible!

[Berkut]

Why is what is going on with gay marriage in the US so important to people not in the US?

I know that sounds like a bit of a troll, but it isn't intended that way.

[Caliga]

Why is what is going on with gay marriage in the US so important to people not in the US?

The world is America's empire.  The plebs are naturally interested in what their masters are thinking. 

[Valmy]

When you travel to New Hampshire to get married Mart be sure to pick up some Maple Syrup products.

[Martinus]

Why is what is going on with gay marriage in the US so important to people not in the US?

I know that sounds like a bit of a troll, but it isn't intended that way.

1. This forum is US-centric. So I post stuff that is interesting to people here. Plus this also makes me more interested in the US politics than I would have otherwise been.
2. I follow a lot of US-based gay media.
3. There aren't pretty much any English-language articles dealing with gay rights in Poland.
4. What happens in the US affects Poland.

I post gay rights news from around the world, not just the US, provided that they are in English.

[Caliga]

When you travel to New Hampshire to get married Mart be sure to pick up some Maple Syrup products.

Vermont. 

[Strix]

When you travel to New Hampshire to get married Mart be sure to pick up some Maple Syrup products.

Vermont. 

Yeah, New Hampshire is where you buy the tax free booze after buying your maple syrup in Vermont.

[Caliga]

Yeah, New Hampshire is where you buy the tax free booze after buying your maple syrup in Vermont.

Correct.  The borders are LINED with packie stores.

[viper37]

Yeah, New Hampshire is where you buy the tax free booze after buying your maple syrup in Vermont.

so you get some Sortilège?

[Admiral Yi]

packie stores

Picked up some nice boots at the Timberland outlet in NH.  Fuckers last forever.

[Grey Fox]

Assholes, you come to Quebec to buy your Maple Syrup.

[Caliga]

packie stores

Picked up some nice boots at the Timberland outlet in NH.  Fuckers last forever.

Packie store = liquor store in Massachusettese.

[Sheilbh]

Why is what is going on with gay marriage in the US so important to people not in the US?

US internal politics is followed far more than the politics of other country's.  Though only in certain ways that I think perpetuate existing biases.  So the British media is vaguely fascinated by America's religiosity and the gay marriage issue because in the British narrative of America it's a very, indeed overwhelmingly religious place.  Similarly issues of race and certain economic subjects are of interest.  It happens to the US more than it does to other countries because the US is bigger, more important and we watch a lot of your TV.

It doesn't just happen to the US though.  I think about 90% of British news coverage of France revolves around banlieues/broken system and strikes. 

The domestic politics of those countries that doesn't fit into British perceptions of them tend to be in the inside pages, or 'Your Own Correspondent' style programmes.