Same-sex Marriage repeal stopped

On Wed., Mar. 21, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down a bill that would have repealed same-sex marriage in the state of New Hampshire. The bill, introduced by Representative David Bates (R) of Windham, was rejected by a vote of 211-116.

The discussion on the controversial vote lasted for over two hours, and with heated debate on the floor, with many republicans vehemently against the repeal. One such representative was Jennifer Coffey, a republican from Salisbury. "I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that a lot of my colleagues believe as I do and follow the true path of liberty -- small government -- and not government out of the pulpits of faith."

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen released a statement shortly after the vote stating that she wanted to "praise all the Democrats and Republicans in the New Hampshire House who came together today to stand up against efforts to repeal gay marriage in our state. We must continue to push back against discrimination and any efforts to undo the progress that has been made to advance equal rights for gay and lesbian couples."

However, there were those who had supported the repeal and disagreed with the senator and other supporters of LGBT rights. Brian Brown, the President of the National Organization of Marriage (NOM) released a statement saying "We are very disappointed in the failure of the New Hampshire House of Representatives to pass compromise legislation restoring marriage and providing civil unions for same-sex couples."

While the vote on House Bill 437 was the main topic of discussion, the lawmakers also voted on some other social issues that day, which included a failed reintroduction of the repeal voted down previously the same day.

Across the Plymouth State University campus, students seemed cautious about the issue. Yet, there were many students who commended the actions of the House. Jay Hunter, a senior, had praise for the repeal's defeat. "I think it's a step forward. Not just for New Hampshire, but for other states as well."

Another student who lauded the House's vote was Carly Leoffler, also a senior. "I'm for gay marriage all the way. I have many friends who are gay and lesbian, and I think they should have the same rights as the rest of us."

There were some students that seemed neutral to the vote. Chris Speare, a junior, stated, "it's good I guess. I tend to not dabble in social issues."

Many students were just happy that civil rights were upheld in the state, and religion did not hold as much sway. Leoffler is one of them. "I know there are some people who use religion as their basis against it, but who cares? It's not hurting anyone."