New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

BOSTON ? The New Hampshire Legislature approved revisions to a same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday and Gov. John Lynch promptly signed the legislation, making the state the sixth in the nation to let gay couples wed.

The bill had been through several permutations in an effort to satisfy Mr. Lynch and certain legislators that it would not force religious groups that oppose gay marriage to participate in ceremonies celebrating it.

Mr. Lynch, who previously supported civil unions but not marriage for gay couples, said in a statement that he had heard ?compelling arguments that a separate system is not an equal system.?

?Today,? he said, ?we are standing up for the liberties of same-sex couples by making clear that they will receive the same rights, responsibilities ? and respect ? under New Hampshire law.?

The law will take effect on Jan. 1.

UPDATE:  As of today, five states recognize same-sex marriage:  Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont; two states recognize same-sex unions (i.e., civil unions for same-sex couples):  California and New Jersey; and five more jurisdictions have enacted domestic partnerships laws that grant many or all of the benefits of marriage to registered domestic partners:  Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Washington State, and the District of Columbia.

During the ten-year period from 1998 to 2008, voters in twenty-nine states approved state constitutional bans on same-sex "marriage".  However, some of these bans are limited:  They do not forbid states to extend the benefit of law to same-sex unions; they forbid only calling such unions "marriage".  See "States With Voter-Approved Constitutional Bans on Same-Sex Marriage, 1998-2008," http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=370.

As of now, seven countries--the Netherlands (since 2000), Belgium (2003), Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway (2009), and Sweden (2009)--recognize same-sex marriage.

According to a 2007 Pew Research Center survey, a bare majority Americans (55%) opposes, and a significant minority (36%) supports, recognizing same-sex marriage.  However, a bare majority of Americans (54%) supports, and a large minority (42%) opposes, civil unions for same-sex couples, according to a 2006 Pew survey.