New Hampshire governor signs bill legalizing civil unions for gay couples

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC

New Hampshire governor signs bill legalizing civil unions for gay couples

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

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[Doctor_J]

1. "Live Free Or Die" - not just a motto, but a way of life

I guess those old conservative New Englanders aren't threatened by having Jim & Bob living next door.

[populist101]

2. It's a start!!

but civil unions, as we all must know, are still not equality. My opinion is that the best way to promote equality is to get the government completely OUT of the marriage business. That way, politicians won't be able to use the issue as a tool of grandstanding....and oppression.

Some thoughts on this:

"Here's How to Defend Marriage"
http://www.populistamerica.com/here_s_how_to_defend_marriage

[DemKR]

3. Colored waiting rooms, seperate but equal

Live free and seperate...Sad.

[Deep13]

14. Previously seperate with no pretense of equality.

Compare NH to OH which in 2004 passed a state constitutional amendement banning not only gay marriage, but anything that approximates marriage. This basically creates gay marriage but calls it something else.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Sing it with me now: "Jim Crow is Alive and Well"

Separate and extremely unequal. Pardon me for not wetting myself with joy.

[SoxFan]

5. I resent this implication

The prime sponsor of the new law is Rep. Jim Splaine (D-Portsmouth). Jim was the first openly gay member of the New Hampshire legislature, and has been a prime mover in legislative efforts to protect the rights of gay and lesbian Granite Staters. Jim is also a good friend who served as a mentor to me during my three terms in the House. Jim is a very savvy legislator, and he understands that this is the best outcome that could be achieved in the current political climate. John Lynch would not have signed a gay marriage bill, but this legislation was something he could live with. While some people might not be happy that it doesn't go far enough, it's a heck of a lot better than the status quo.

Congratulations to Rep. Splaine, Rep. Hilliard, and Rep. Baxley for passing this new law!

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Shame on the quistlings who support segregation

I will not be silenced on my disgust at the bigots who support Jim Crow marriage. Regardless of party, regardless of orientation, bigotry is bigotry, and censoring folks who tell the truth will not change facts.

[Deep13]

15. Fine. I'm sure there are those in NH who want to change it back...

...to how it was before.:shrug:

If it does everything marriage does but just uses a different name, so what? It is not up to the state to tell people how to feel about it.

[zanne]

20. I agree, Bluedog

I've lived in NH all my life and suffered through 55 years of a reactionary state government. The fact that NH has passed this into law is an incredible breakthrough. You can't compare NH to VT, MA or any other state. What happened in NH has made me proud as hell.

[Orangepeel]

8. completely counterproductive

To not support laws recognizing civil unions because they are unequal to marriage is counterproductive.

I fully agree with you that it is bigotry not to support full marriage rights and I support full marriage rights. But, civil unions not only provide some rights, protections and privileges (even if it is a tiny fraction), civil unions also will make it easier to win full marriage rights in the future. Marriage rights will come faster if civil union laws are passed and used then they will if supporters of full marriage rights refuse anything but marriage.

Yes, with civil unions, gays and lesbians are only allowed on the back of the bus. I understand why that makes you angry. It should. But right now, gays and lesbians aren't allowed on the bus at all! What's more, most of the people on the bus don't care (so a boycott won't work). You CAN get the majority of people on the bus to agree that gays and lesbians should be allowed to ride in the back. Stupid and bigoted, yes, but gays and lesbians will achieve their ultimate goal of equality much quicker if they get on the bus now and then sit where they want to sit (through the courts and/or as people stop being assholes).

The country is changing and someday soon, gays and lesbians will have full equality. The question is how do we get to that goal the fastest. Civil unions provide SOME marriage rights now and will make it easier to get full rights later. That's a good thing.

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. To not support laws recognizing "white only" lunch counters is counterproductive

Sorry, but bigotry is bigotry.

[Orangepeel]

10. and it's bigotry not to allow gays and lesbians into the restaurant at all

which is where we are at now. That's not better.

[karlrschneider]

11. Don't you think some progress is better than none? And isn't instant gratification

one of the things we bitch about people wanting in other issue areas?

[Deep13]

18. In this case there are two signs "white only" and "colored only"...

...but they both hang over the same water fountain. It is just a name, for Christ sake. One battle at a time.

[CTLawGuy]

23. didn't you pass 5th grade math

don't you remember that 99% of something = 0% of that thing.

:sarcasm:

[endarkenment]

12. I understand but you also need to understand.

Up here in New Hampster this is a huge step forward, one that will be used to attack the good governor when he runs again in 08.

The fact is that it is state marriage that should be abolished in favor of civil unions for everyone.

[Deep13]

16. "...state marriage that should be abolished in favor of civil unions..."

Or it could be a step towards equal marriage rights. Or maybe it is equal marriage rights using a different name. One could read your remark as confirming that gay rights really does mean anti-marriage.

I'm not going to let my marriage be downgraded because we did not do it in a church.

[terrya]

19. I guess I have to turn in my gay card for saying this, but....

Here in Illinois, gay and lesbian couples have....nothing. Right now, there's a civil unions bill that has been introduced in the Legislature. Realistically, this is the best we can get right now...the Governor, Rod Blagojevich, has stated his opposition to same-sex marriage, but supports civil unions. This civil unions bill could pass...the Democrats have majorities in both houses of the Legislature. And I'm convinced Blagojevich will sign this civil unions bill. Getting this bill passed sure as fuck won't be easy...the Catholic Church, the fundamentalists, etc, will go into full attack mode if this gets on the floor. Hell, it took us 20 years just to get an state wide anti-discrimination bill passed and enacted.

I guess I'm saying that why I completely, absolutely support our rights to marriage...I guess I have to look at it realistically. And that doesn't mean that if we have civil unions, we still can't fight for full marriage.

Congratulations to the people of New Hampshire.

[Tesha]

21. You know, a bunch of Democrats went WAY OUT ON THE LIMB FOR THIS...

> Sing it with me now: "Jim Crow is Alive and Well"
> Separate and extremely unequal. Pardon me for not
> wetting myself with joy.

You know, a bunch of Democrats went WAY OUT ON THE
LIMB FOR THIS so you can just take your bladder
elsewhere and piss on somebody else's parade.

Here in the Granite State, we're pretty happy with
what just got accomplished because a year ago, it
would have been completely unthinkable.

Tesha

[Deep13]

22. As a transplanted New Englander...

...you're right. Some might think that the North East is the North East, but that is not true. NH is very conservative in some ways. It is only because the religious right has not latched onto it that this measure is even possible.

[CTLawGuy]

24. Amen

I'm not of the opinion that if you can't get 100% of what you want, doing nothing is preferable. I think maybe the complainers should spend their breath attacking states who not only have no marriage or civil unions, but BAN THEM via constitution, rather than by attacking people for moving in the right direction. Civil unions aren't the end of the evolution but the beginning.

[leQ]

13. K&R (n/t)

[Deep13]

17. I feel like my hetero marriage is somehow threatened by this.

:evilgrin:

No, not really.