New Hampshire same-sex unions SIGNED INTO LAW

[Bluebear]

:woohoo:

BOSTON, May 31 — Civil unions for same-sex couples in New Hampshire will be legal starting in January under a bill signed into law Thursday by Gov. John Lynch.

In a ceremony in the governor’s chambers at the New Hampshire Statehouse, Mr. Lynch, a second-term Democrat who has voiced opposition to same-sex marriage, said: “I do not believe that this bill threatens marriage. I believe that this is a matter of conscience and fairness.”

New Hampshire becomes the fourth state to allow same-sex civil unions, joining Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey, and the first to do so without a court order or a pending lawsuit. Only Massachusetts allows same-sex marriage...

Paul Nagy, chairman of Conserve NH, a conservative group that had gathered 900 signatures on a petition urging Mr. Lynch not to sign the bill, said that throughout the process of enactment, the measure’s opponents had not had enough opportunity to air their views. :eyes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/01union.html?ref=us

[terrya]

1. Congratulations to all of the citizens of New Hampshire!

And next...Illinois. :-)

[Captain Hilts]

2. It's part of "living free." nt

[Marrah_G]

3. Almost all of New England

Except RI and Maine I think, and RI will do it soon, IMO..... can we secede yet? Please?

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Big step for NH! w00t!

Some people are bitching, as always, that this isn't enough, Jim Crow, blahblahblah. But, as someone who has lived next door to NH for my entire life, I can safely say that this is a *huge* step for the state, and that marriage equality would have been shot down in a heartbeat if they had gone that route first. Now, this opens the door to the future, where hopefully marriage equality can slide in and become law in the coming years. Bravo NH!

:)

[Orsino]

5. The pinheads know that once same-sex marriage is mainstreamed...

...that all of their "defense of marriage" FUD vanishes. Until then, though, expect New Hampshire to feature in Pat Robertson's explanations for any natural disasters that come along.