N.H. May Vote to Repeal Marriage

LET NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTE CAMPAIGN ART X390 (CAMPAIGN SITE) | ADVOCATE.COM

A New Hampshire state representative is working to bring marriage equality to the voting population, despite the law legalizing same-sex marriage going into effect last Saturday.

Rep. David Bates, a Republican representing the Windham area, said he hopes that voters will be able to make their feelings on the marriage issue known on March 9 during the upcoming town meeting vote.

"This is in response to the law which took effect Jan. 1 that redefined marriage to include homosexual relationships," he wrote in an e-mailed announcement to supporters. "The question voters will be asked on March 9 is intended to determine the will of the New Hampshire voters concerning the marriage debate."

In addition to a vote in March, three Republican members have proposed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, according to the Union-Leader newspaper. The constitutional amendment would have to be passed by three fifths of the legislature and then two thirds of the popular vote.

"People should not seek to impose their personal religious views on others and should not spend taxpayers' money doing so," Mo Baxley, director of N.H. Freedom to Marry, told the Union-Leader. "It certainly doesn't change anything. Couples are married. They're going to stay married and I think there are probably better things for folks to focus on."

According to the newspaper, New Hampshire does not allow for statewide ballot initiatives, but voters can bring issues to town meetings for consideration. At those meetings, it takes just 25 registered voters to successfully petition for an issue to be vetted by attendees.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Shawn
Date posted: 1/8/2010 7:02:30 PM
Hometown: Somersworth

Comment:
This bill will go somewhere. It might not be immediate but it will be. Contrary to all you out of state commenters, we who actually live in NH were ignored. When there were not enough votes for this,the NH legislature kicked off the person voting against and put in one who would vote yes. I am a NH native who has a sister and a best friend that is gay. I also voted in the recent town elections for a gay town official. That said, we all know the word homophobe is delicious sounding.. Homophobe, no. Defender of true marriage yes.
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Name: Roger Burr
Date posted: 1/5/2010 10:20:59 PM
Hometown: Marble Hill

Comment:
I don't think this initiative will gain any ground, but it speaks loudly of the open hatred the Republicans feel for us. How any LGBT person with even HALF a brain could be a REPUBLICAN; absolutely astounds me. That's tantamount to a 'Jewish Auxilliary' of the Nazi Party.
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Name: Dinei Leao
Date posted: 1/5/2010 3:19:47 PM
Hometown: San Francisco

Comment:
I miss the rage and anger that the LGBT people demonstrated right after Prop8 passed here in CA. We need to protest nationwide. Guess where? In front of the fu****g churches of this country because that’s where most of this bigotry comes from. We need to make our voices and anger heard, if not now, when then???
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Name: Casey Cameron
Date posted: 1/5/2010 2:59:03 PM
Hometown: Chicago

Comment:
How many states will we go through until the gay community realizes and accepts that WE MUST get aggressive and fight the hell back? The Rep pushing this needs any arrest record made public, divorces made public, if he filed for bankruptcy, make it public. Until gays accept that this is a WAR and develops the smarter plan and uses larger guns, we will continue to lose. I am tired of hearing: "I don't want to be like them." Too bad. WE NEED TO BE LIKE THEM, they win!
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Name: Sam B.
Date posted: 1/5/2010 2:42:08 PM
Hometown: Menlo Park

Comment:
Where are all the idiots who keep saying that Christians are our FRIENDS and that if we just play nice with them, if we only stop making fun of their delusions, if we just RESPECT THEM - they'll respect us in return? WHERE ARE THOSE FUCKING IDIOTS? I want to rub their noses in this article. Playing nice with these people does nothing but invite even MORE contempt from them. This is a WAR, people. We need to start treating it as a war and fight (and fight dirty if we have to). Quite frankly - I don't want any of them as my friend - I just want them to go away and leave us the fuck alone.
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Name: mike
Date posted: 1/5/2010 2:06:17 PM
Hometown: cincinnati

Comment:
Anti-gay sentiment is the only sure way to unite Christians on an issue. This has been shown time and time again. Gays have to have the national government legislate equal rights for all citizens. This is not a cultural or social issue as it is often portrayed. It is just plain and simple fair and equal treatment for a completely disenfranchised minority. I am sick of reading about the baby steps for equal rights that we are entitled to have. How can so many supposedly "educated" people be so discriminatory toward gays? The amount of money wasted on this issue is shameful. How can we think about what is happening in other countries when we are treated so poorly is this most powerful country? I guess the politicians can justify this to themselves and their constituents since our scars are not visible. Gays will only have equal rights when they take matters into their own hands. We have been patient for too long.
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Name: Michael
Date posted: 1/5/2010 1:38:37 PM
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale

Comment:
Why doesn't anybody care about the feelings of gay people? These people have no guts to HATE themselves, they have to blame God. IT BLOWS MY MIND. COME ON GAYS, let's talk about the pain these people and the bullying that these people do to us, in the name of God! FEELINGS. TALK ABOUT THE PAIN. Should be our number one areguement. STOP THE PERSECUTION!
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Name: gypsy78
Date posted: 1/5/2010 1:16:37 PM
Hometown: NY

Comment:
@Daniel Uh, I think Florida DID pass their marriage ban with 62% of the vote. The wide margin would be needed for a consitutional ammendment, but the state apparently doesn't allow for voter initiatives. Unfortunately the article is poorly written and does not say what the final outcome of raising this in town meetings may be.
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Name: Daniel
Date posted: 1/5/2010 12:54:20 PM
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale

Comment:
People need to calm down. This article makes it sound like it's on the ballot. Gay marriage in New Hampshire isn't going anywhere. Even Florida with all these religious nuts and old people didn't get more than 60% of the vote for our gay marriage ban. NH voters wouldn't approve a bigotted measure by such a wide margin, much less the legislature.
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Name: Dan
Date posted: 1/5/2010 12:25:57 PM
Hometown: Shinbone

Comment:
Next, they will vote to burn us all at the stake. Hey, why not adopt Uganda's new bill? Pounding gays always pulls in the money and the vote.

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