New Hampshire voting to repeal gay marriage? NOM begins anti-gay commercials against NH Governor [video]
With several towns still left to vote in May, 61 towns to date have approved the question and 33 defeated it. Another 33 towns tabled the measure. In some towns it was hotly debated; in others it passed with little or no discussion. Proponents of same-sex marriage claim tabling the measure is tantamount to defeating it; opponents disagree.
From a piece that ran in today’s Boston Herald that says supporters of same-sex marriage and opponents are both claiming victory. They are battling over the inclusion of a voter referendum in New Hampshire this November that would repeal the rights of gay couples to be legally wed. New Hampshire is one of a few states (plus the District of Columbia) where gay and lesbian couples can be married. The marriage equality bill was approved by the legislature through split votes, and then signed by a reluctant Governor, John Lynch, last May. It went into effect on January 1, 2010. (Boston Herald)
The Let NH Vote Web site lists only the 93 towns where a vote actually took place, ignoring the 48 that tabled the measure, when everyone knows that under parliamentary procedure tabling in this context is the same as killing. Using its twisted logic, you can accurately say that twice as many towns voted for the petition as voted against it. It’s easy to come up with a statement that is factually accurate but not true.
Part of a Nashua Telegraph article that examined New Hampshire’s town-by-town vote at the end of March. This paragraph appears to still be accurate since the anti-gay group, Let NH Vote, has not changed its list. This past November, a voter referendum repealed gay marriage in Maine, and another repealed gay marriage in California in late 2008. Both of those votes were split by just a couple of percentage points, proving again that every vote counts, and gay rights supporters ought not take their wins for granted. (Nashua Telegraph)
”Even though he promised voters when he ran for office that he did not support gay marriage, Lynch signed same-sex marriage legislation into law…. Our new ad holds him to account for misrepresenting his positions on business taxes, government spending, balancing the budget and redefining marriage.”
Brian Brown, leader of the the much-hated National Organization for Marriage, which has apparently begun running ads against Governor John Lynch, a Democrat. On May 29, 2009, he signed a law that extended equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples, but only after the legislature agreed to include more exemptions for anti-gay religious groups. Lynch is reported to be seeking a fourth 2-year term, which has not happened before. The Democratic Chair of NH calls Brown’s group, “a right wing group out of New Jersey that is ignoring New Hampshire law and spreading outrageous and deliberate lies in an effort to push a message of hate and discrimination.” The NOM ad buy cost $200,000. (Nashua Telegraph)
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
