New Hampshire

Hawaii and Delaware join the list of states which recognize same-sex civil unions. Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island already recognize civil unions providing state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples. Six other states and Washington, D.C. allow same-sex marriage - creating a patchwork of U.S. legislation for same-sex couples who want to legalize their unions. Marriage licenses are given to same-sex couples in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and D.C. California's struggle for marriage equality is stayed pending an appeal.

A bipartisan group is launching a television ad defending New Hampshire's marriage equality law and urging lawmakers not to vote to repeal it. The 30-second ad shows people saying New Hampshire believes in freedom for everyone. Standing Up for New Hampshire Families paid for the ad. The proposed civil unions law would be open to any two adults and would let anyone refuse to recognize the unions.

Lawmakers in Rhode Island and Maryland are considering bills to legalize same-sex marriage, and advocates in New York haven't given up - while opponents are fighting for constitutional bans in Indiana and Wyoming and to re-impose bans in Iowa and New Hampshire.

In NYC, Freedom to Marry announced the launch of what it described as the largest-ever campaign aimed at increasing popular support for same-sex marriage.

The New Hampshire Legislature legalized civil unions two years ago and the marriage equality law passed in June. On January 1, New Hampshire became the fifth state in the nation to recognize same-sex marriages, joining Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa.

Several couples gathered on the State House steps to honor their relationships and the new law.

The Associated Press reports there was just one protester at the Statehouse as dozens of gay and lesbian couples entered into civil unions in New Hampshire in the early minutes of New Year's Day. A new state law legalized the partnerships after midnight.

In a related story, Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the new law:

A Boston mom gives it to Romney:

"I am a gay woman and I have children. Your comment that you just made, it sort of invalidates my family," said Cynthia Fish, a mother of a 6- and 8-year-old. "... I wish you could explain to me more, why if we are sending our troops over to fight for liberty and justice for all throughout this country, why not for me? Why not for my family?"

The New York Times Editorial
Published: June 7, 2007

A potentially groundbreaking legal battle over Connecticut’s exclusion of gay people from the state’s marriage law has catapulted the debate over same-sex marriage to a new level.