The last hurdle to Washington, D.C.'s freedom to marry was crossed on February 26.  On that day, the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals unanimously denied a Maryland minister's requested injunction to block the new law from taking effect.

A California court decision affirming a non-biological mother's parental status was left unchanged by the U.S. Supreme Court.  On February 22, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the appeal of a lesbian mother seeking to prevent her former partner from continuing a parental relationship with the daughter they had together.  The non-biological mother's help preparing for the child's birth and public acknowledgment of parenthood were factors in the original decision.

Good news In Indiana!  Senate Joint Resolution 13, which would have amended Indiana’s state constitution to discriminate against same-sex couples, was stopped when the Indiana House of Representatives refused to conduct a hearing on this discriminatory proposal.  According to Indiana Equality, "Friends of fairness and equality generated nearly 15,000 e-mails and letters to State Legislators urging them to reject SJR-13."

In Concord on Monday, New Hampshire's House of Representatives rejected a measure that would have revised the New Hampshire Constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.  The 201-135 vote was insufficient to move the bill for a Senate vote and it will not appear on the ballot in the next general election.

An hour later, the same governing body rejected a bill that would have repealed the state's law granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples.  The House said, "No!" in voting 210 to 109 to kill the measure.

"The vast majority of people with their families to be healthy and secure and wish this for their neighbors as well," said Mo Baxley, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition.

Learn more at the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition's website.

New Hampshire's House Judiciary Committee yesterday voted against two measures, one to repeal the state's new freedom to marry law and one to alter the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.  A full House vote is pending.

[photo courtesy NHFTM]

In some New Hampshire towns, nonbinding resolutions about the new law will appear on town meeting day ballots.  These votes will not affect the law.  Still, the residents of several towns have rejected these measures even as a nonbinding referendum, refusing to vote on the rights of their friends and neighbors. 

Civil unions had been part of New Hampshire law for about a year when the legislature approved full marriage rights in May 2009.  Same-sex couples began marrying in New Hampshire at midnight on January 1, 2010.

Visit the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition for more information and to get involved. 

After 30 minutes of discussion, Deerfield, N.H., residents nixed voting on a proposed state constitutional definition of marriage.  The nonbinding referendum was submitted by the pastor of a local church and may appear on the slate in other towns on March 9, New Hampshire's Town Meeting Day.  But in Deerfield, residents voted 92-28 to strike all but two words from the amendment, effectively killing it.

"It's clearly a statewide, divisive end-around to try to impose individuals' religious and moral views on others," said Jim Deely, the Deerfield resident who made the motion that ended the issue for Deerfield.

On June 3, 2009, the New Hampshire legislature passed a marriage equality law, which was signed by Governor John Lynch.  Same-sex couples began marrying in New Hampshire on January 1, 2010.

For more information and to get involved, visit the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition.