Perry Calls for Repeal of N.H. Gay Marriage Law

Texas governor Rick Perry called for the repeal of the New Hampshire marriage equality law in a speech to conservative activists in Manchester on Friday night.

According to the Concord Monitor, the presidential hopeful spoke at the annual banquet for Cornerstone Action and praised the Republican lawmakers working to repeal the law passed in 2009. He also applauded state efforts to end funding for birth control and health services for low-income women provided by Planned Parenthood.

"As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life. We believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage," said Perry. "And I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and a father."

Last week, the House judiciary committee advanced a bill that would eliminate all future same-sex marriages and replace them with a type of civil union. However, according to Reuters, polls indicate that a solid majority of New Hampshire residents, including a plurality of likely Republican primary voters, oppose repealing the law.

Recent polling puts Perry at the bottom of the pack of Republican contenders in New Hampshire. He stands at 4% compared to 40% for Mitt Romney, the frontrunner in the state.