New Hampshire Moves One Step Closer for Same Sex Marriage Equality & Two Steps Back on Trans Rights
Last Wednesday, the New Hampshire Senate voted in favor of marriage equality for same sex couples with a 13-11 vote. While it’s great news that same sex couples are being given the permission by the state of New Hampshire to marry the person they love, the bill only passed after the language in the bill was amended granting religious groups and organizations legal protection to refuse to perform same sex marriages. Because you know, we need to keep the blasphemers away from our good, faithful folk… Otherwise the National Organization for Marriage will feel compelled to make up even more lies about why same sex couples are automatically lesser than straight couples and should be quarantined before they convince the entire United States population into marrying a member of the same sex.
While the bill was passed a month ago, the House needs to approve the changes made to the bill, placing it in the hands of Governor John Lynch. It is unknown whether or not Lynch will pass the bill, although he should given the amendments to the bill; however, he has stressed his opinion of same sex marriage in New Hampshire, saying that the two year standing civil union laws that New Hampshire currently possesses are sufficient enough for same sex couples.
“I still believe the fundamental issue is about providing the same rights and protections to same-sex couples as are available to heterosexual couples. This was accomplished through the passage of the civil unions law two years ago. To achieve further real progress, the federal government would need to take action to recognize New Hampshire civil unions.”
While most people who believe in equality for all would agree that Lynch’s statement does not sound too promising for the future of same sex marriage in New Hampshire, you can sign a petition, sayin “I urge the state of New Hampshire to allow same-sex couples to share fully in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of civil marriage” here.
The future of marriage equality in New Hampshire definitely looks like it can have a grim future and the blows just keep on coming for LGBT equality in the state.
On the same day the New Hampshire Senate voted in favor of same sex marriage, they took several steps backwards in proving that transgender citizens of the state are the lowest humans on the totem pole by voting 24-0 for House Bill 415, a bill that would have protected transgender people from discrimination in areas of housing and employment.
The reason why this bill did not even come close to passing is because the people who fought this bill spread scare tactics, saying it would open women’s bathrooms and locker rooms to sexual predators who could raise a defense in court that they were “sexually confused.”
Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, a sponsor of the bill, said that those who campaigned against the bill “shamefully sought to distract us from the real issue, literally bringing the debate to the toilets…The campaign to defeat it “embodies at its very core the ugly and misplaced prejudice we had all hoped this bill would prevent.”
To even assume that a person would use their personal identity, not sexual identity, mind you, but the gender they truly are and the person they are, to make an excuse for being a sexual predator, is absolutely ludicrous and fearmongering at its best. I also find it truly mindblowing that the scare tactic being used in this debate toggles sex offenders, as if people unlike the cis, straight, religious right are bad people who do bad things.
Feel free to contact the Senate members to voice your disgust with their blatant bigotry.
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Keep up the excellent work. Thanks guys, keep up the good work! I am really satisfied with my it
Same sex couple should have been allowed long back… it was unfair to all of them… however, late but at last permited.. thats great to here
It should have been approved long back… it was unfair to all of them.. anyways late but at last… good to know..
Yes, i do agree that its been long waiting for this aproval.
Jim
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Yes, i do agree that its been long waiting for this aproval.
Jim
Social Media Marketing Package
most of the people who believed in equality for all agree that statement does not sound too promising for the future of gay marriages in any country.