Debates on same-sex marriage have heated up since Massachusetts first approved marriage between gays and lesbians five years ago. Connecticut came in second. This year, Iowa and Vermont followed suit while Maine became the most recent proponent state of gay marriage.
In a surprising move, New Hampshire lawmakers struck down a bill that would have made the state the sixth in the US to legalize same-sex marriage. The rejected legislation was a watered-down version of an earlier bill approved by the state Senate and House of Representatives last March 26.
Despite the state’s Senate approving the legislation 14-10, the amended version of the bill was rejected by a slim margin of 188-186 vote in the state’s Democrat-dominated House of Representatives. The passage of the first version of the bill was impeded when Governor John Lynch recommended changes in the language of the bill.
Lynch, a three-term Democrat, supplied rewordings of the earlier bill so that it should possess a strong and clear indication of protecting any religious association or institution, or individual working for these associations. Lynch wanted to guarantee that clerical and religious institutions will not face fines or lawsuits should they decline to solemnize gay marriages.
Other House Republicans defended their negative vote, saying that the state’s constituents have not been given ample opportunity to discuss and voice out their opinions on the issue.
Some legislators thought that the amended version with the religious liberties clause would have allowed legalizing discrimination altogether. Steve Vaillancourt, a gay Republican representative, opposed the amended bill, warning that the House should not be “bullied” by the governor.
The bill has been referred by both chambers to a committee for further review and consideration.
American adults still retain a conservative view on same-sex marriage, according to a CNN poll in April. Fifty-four percent of those questioned in the poll felt strongly against gay marriage while 44% of them approve of it. Younger people, however, are more open to gay marriage than adults are.