NH: Third Town Rejects Anti Gay Marriage Petition

It was a tricky balancing act Alstead residents engaged in Tuesday night. At the town’s official-ballot first session, some articles were trimmed while others withstood editing — all to balance the bottom-line budget (and the cost to Alstead residents) with the needs of the town.

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The other hot topic of the night was an article to send a nonbinding resolution to legislators that reads: “The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines ‘marriage.’ ” The petition article has cropped up in multiple Monadnock Region towns. In Alstead, it was eventually amended to read merely “The citizens of New Hampshire should be.” Eleanor Elbers introduced the amendment to change the article. New Hampshire is a small state that stood up for civil rights by legalizing gay marriage, she said. The petition article contradicts that — as worded, it stands for discrimination, Elbers said.

Some residents supported the article, saying they merely want a chance to have their say on such an important issue. Others argued the article is attempting to put civil rights — something afforded to every person by the constitution — up for a vote. “The article clearly has an agenda behind it,” said Saxton, who gave a brief, but passionate, speech about how, as a gay man, he doesn’t know why anyone feels threatened by the legalization of same-sex marriage. The article will “diminish rights for human beings,” he said. “And that’s wrong and I don’t think it’s anybody else’s business.”

Full Story from the Sentinel Source
Click here for gay marriage resources in New Hampshire.
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NH: Another Town Removes Anti Gay Marriage Petition

Deerfield residents have taken a controversial warrant article about marriage off their March ballot and tacked onto their proposed budget enough money to buy a new piece of radar equipment. Saturday's deliberative session lasted just under four hours, Selectman Walter Hooker said, and neared its conclusion with about a half hour of discussion on a proposed resolution stating that residents should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage. If approved by voters, the resolution would be sent to state politicians.

The petitioned article has popped up on warrants across the state this year following legislation passed in 2009 that made same-sex marriage legal in the state. In Deerfield, the petition was submitted by Chris Tidwell, pastor at Deerfield Bible Church.

At yesterday's meeting, residents voted to strike the proposed resolution by a 92-28 vote, Hooker said. Deerfield resident Jim Deely, 36, made the motion to amend the warrant article to take out all but two words, effectively rending it null and void. "It's clearly a statewide, divisive end-around to try to impose individuals' religious and moral views on others," Deely said. Tidwell said there was no malice intended in proposing the resolution. "As far as I'm concerned, in Deerfield, it's done," he said.

Full Story from the Concord Monitor
Click here for gay marriage resources in New Hampshire.
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NH: Town Votes to Gut Gay Marriage Ban Petition

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Another petitioned article on the warrant was also substantially changed. The article proposed the town send a resolution to legislators that: “The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment; to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines ‘marriage.’”

A motion by Frederick Martin to amend the resolution to read, “The citizens of New Hampshire should be,” was approved 43-25 by voters.

“I don’t want to see the government taking away rights and liberties, and I think that’s where (the article) leads,” he said before proposing the amendment.

Full Story from the Sentinel Source
Click here for gay marriage resources in New Hampshire.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook - just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you'll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We're also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

NH: Gay Marriage Foes Bringing Up Issue at Town Meetings

Gay marriage opponents have begun a grass-roots effort to challenge New Hampshire's new gay marriage law by raising the issue at town meetings this spring. Rep. David Bates, a Republican from Windham, is organizing a petition drive to ask town voters if they want state lawmakers to place a constitutional amendment on gay marriage on a future general election ballot. The petition, which is nonbinding, asks if "the citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire constitution that defines marriage." However, the petition does not define marriage. Nonbinding items on a variety of issues are often taken up at town meetings. More than 200 towns hold meetings each spring in New Hampshire. Full Story from the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-nh-gaymarriagenh,0,3790925.story

Click here for gay marriage resources.

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UK: Two Days Left to Sign petition Allowing Religious Buildings to Be Used for Civil Partnerships

There are only two days remaining to sign a petition to call for civil partnerships to be held in religious buildings. The Civil Partnerships Act, passed in 2004, currently forbids same-sex ceremonies in buildings designed for religious purposes and states that they can only take place in a register office or approved premises. However some faith groups have said they would like to perform civil partnership ceremonies on their premises but are unable to due to the law as it stands. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/28/two-days-left-to-sign-petition-on-religious-civil-partnerships/

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook - just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you'll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We're also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.