Enough Of This Already. Are You Fed Up Yet?

New Hampshire Votes 188-186 Against Gay Marriage

 

 

New Hampshire, a state in which 55% of its electorate favors gay marriage, and 39% of its electorate opposes gay marriage, just defeated its gay marriage bill after passing it two weeks ago. “Huh?” you say? Right.

On May 6, the House and Senate completed voting on the gay marriage bill. Many had expected it to be sent to the Governor that same day, just as Vermont did. But the bill never reached the Governor. Instead, two weeks after the bill was passed, the last step before gay marriage would be legal in New Hampshire, the bill hung out in the 400-member State Legislature. Even the local newspaper reported it had been sent to the Governor’s office. Finally, on May 14, Governor John Lynch announced he would sign the bill if the Legislature included specific language he had drafted, to add further protections for religious institutions. Even gay rights groups did not object, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Today, by a 14-10 vote, the New Hampshire Senate approved the changes and the bill went to the House. Most people went out for coffee. Three approvals by the Senate, two by the House, a report that the Legislature would easily pass it, a promise by the Governor that he would sign the bill, let’s have a latte. Well guess what? We just lost the House. By two damn votes: 188-186.

The time for action is NOW. Enough of this shit. It’s time for everyone to pick up the damn phone and start calling people in New Hampshire. Know someone who lives there? Call them. Know someone who goes to college there? Call them. Call the Governor’s office yourself. Call the Speaker of the House yourself. Call or write the local newspaper, contact the local TV station, get online and make some noise. DO SOMETHING. NOW.

1. New Hampshire Freedom To Marry has a simple form for residents of New Hampshire. Make sure you or anyone you know who has a New Hampshire address fills it out.

2. Look at this list of New Hampshire colleges and Universities. Know anyone who might be on it? Doesn’t your neighbor have a son at Darthmouth? Time for them to repay that cup of sugar they never returned.

3. Call Governor John Lynch. Yes, he has already said he will sign the bill. He’s under a lot of pressure. He could easily change his mind. Call him. (The people in his office are very nice.) Email Governor Lynch here. Call him at (603)271-2121. Fax him at (603)271-7680.

4. Get onto Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, any of your social networks and ask your contacts to support you! Ask them who they know who lives in New Hampshire. It’s important that we get the New Hampshire voters to contact their legislators and let them know they want this bill to pass. Here’s a link to help them find their representative’s number or email.

5. Ask all your friends to email the New Hampshire State Legislature: house_communications@leg.state.nh.us

6. Call the Office of the Speaker of the House, Terie Norelli: (603) 271-3661. Here is their website.

Any other ideas? Email me! Or list them in the comments below.

PLEASE do this now. And please email all your friends with this information. Or, ask them to subscribe to this blog.

(image: jackealexander)