Ho-hum civil union rights

January 3, 2008
The Boston Globe
Editorial

WHEN VERMONT legislators legalized civil unions for gay couples in 2000, there was a bitter backlash against the reform. But on New Year's Day, New Hampshire joined Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey in extending civil union rights to gay and lesbian couples, and the event was met with a collective yawn. There are several reasons for this change, but the most important is that residents of New Hampshire have had a chance to observe Vermont and Connecticut's civil unions and Massachusetts' same-sex marriage, and realized that extending rights to a minority is no threat to the majority - or to the institution of marriage.

Not too many years ago, the fiery conservatism of the Manchester Union-Leader newspaper and the state's former governor, Meldrim Thomson, made New Hampshire an unlikely candidate for quiet acceptance of expanded rights for gays. But as resistant as its citizens have been to broad-based taxes or expanded government, there has always been a live-and-let-live streak in the state that has made it infertile ground for politicians telling other people how to live. Recently, the state's high-tech industries have brought in highly trained newcomers with broad views on social issues. Polling for the presidential primary shows that gay marriage is of minor concern to the state's voters.

This page finds civil unions to be an inadequate substitute for true marriage equality. Still, there likely would have been more opposition had New Hampshire legalized gay marriage and not just civil unions, which are seen as a compromise measure. Also, the fact that New Hampshire's elected legislators initiated the change, as opposed to an "unelected" court, as was the case in both Vermont and Massachusetts, may have made the reform more acceptable to voters.

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Gay N.H. couples celebrate, gain status in civil unions

By Noah Bierman
Boston Globe
January 2, 2008

PORTSMOUTH - Clad in jeans and loose-fitting sweaters, Rachel Gogan and Katie Raynes walked into the side room of a church basement yesterday and joined in a precedent-setting civil union ceremony.

And then they drove home to Dover for a quiet lunch.

The women, both in their mid-20s, were casual history-makers, among the first of about 100 couples in New Hampshire to unite under the state's civil union law that took effect yesterday. Their more formal and emotional, though unofficial, union took place in October, when friends and family gathered for a ceremony and party in Maine.

"We already had our wedding. This was the signing of our paperwork. The state's finally catching up with us," Gogan said.

New Hampshire became the fourth state to allow civil unions of same-sex couples. Just after midnight, the first 40 or so couples held ceremonies at the State House. Smaller ceremonies took place in other parts of the state throughout the day. By the afternoon, 11 couples, including Gogan and Raynes, were committed at South Church Unitarian Universalist Church in Portsmouth.

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Gay Bishop Announces Civil Union, Infuriates Church Conservatives

This is old news to us, but apparently it just appeared on the radar screens of the British press...

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: August 23, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(London) The only openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Church has unveiled plans for a civil union with his longtime partner, unleashing an attack by church conservatives who call it a publicity stunt.

New Hampshire's Episcopal Bishop, Gene Robinson, tells the British Broadcasting Corporation that he and his partner of 18 years, Mark Andrew, 53, will have a civil union shortly after the state's civil union law goes into effect next year.

"The decision to take advantage of the new law that will come into effect in New Hampshire on January 1 is simply our taking advantage of the kinds of rights which are now being made open to gay and lesbian people in New Hampshire," Robinson tells interviewer Michael Buerk in the program to be broadcast August 28.

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Newark Guidelines for Civil Unions by Clergy

Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 1:36 PM
Subject: An Open Letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of Newark from The Oasis

Bishop Beckwith has given The Oasis permission to create a list of clergy willing to perform civil unions as a resource for same sex couples who wish for their ceremonies to be performed by clergy. As civil agents of the state, clergy are legally permitted to perform civil unions and canonically there is nothing to prevent clergy from performing them and blessing the union.

Hard copies of this letter were sent to all diocesan clergy last month, but as response to the letter has been spotty we have been asked to re-send the letter via email.

The Bishop has a standard of expectations for any clergy performing civil union partnerships.

1. Civil Union ceremonies may be performed in church.

2. A record of the service may be recorded in the parish register.

3. It is the choice of the clergyperson, as in marriage, whether or not they will perform civil unions, and

4. The same requirements and expectations exist for civil unions – counseling, participation in the life of the church community and congregation, etc. – that the clergyperson and church require for marriage. If it is a second relationship, permission needs to be given by the bishop (as in a second marriage request).

5. Guidelines for the service may be obtained from the Civil Union Task Force.

As you probably know, the Bishop has established a Civil Union Task Force to help respond to this new legal opportunity, chaired by Ms. Barbara Conroy and the Rev. Phil Wilson. In the meantime, if you are looking for services of blessing The Oasis has on file several approved ceremonies of blessing which are available by e-mail to anyone in the diocese who requests them.

If you have not already done so please let The Oasis know if you would like to be included on the list of clergy willing to perform civil unions. You can send a note of your willingness to The Oasis by e-mail to chair at oasisnewark.org or to The Oasis, 31 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102.

Sincerely,

THE OASIS
John Simonelli, Commission Chair

+Gene and Mark to take advantage of NH CU Law

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- The Rev. V. Gene Robinson's elevation as the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop divided the Anglican community worldwide, but in New Hampshire he just wants to be one of the many gay couples uniting with his partner under a soon-to-be-signed civil unions law.

"My partner and I look forward to taking full advantage of the new law," Robinson told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Read it all HERE

Same-sex marriage faces Judiciary Committee

By: Bridget Albert, Editor
The Orange Bulletin
04/12/2007

Following more than 11 hours of hearings last week the state Judiciary Committee debated and listened to arguments for and against same-sex marriage.

In 2005, Connecticut, in an overwhelming legislative vote, became the first state to recognize same-sex couples with civil unions without being forced to by the court system.

Earlier this year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she'd veto any legislation that allows gay and lesbian couples to marry. Rell signed the civil union bill in 2005.

But many believe gays should be allowed to marry.

Eileen Doyle, of Milford, said before she got involved with the Gay/Straight Alliance at her church, Mary Taylor Memorial, United Methodist Church, she didn't think much about the issue.

"I never gave much thought to gays marrying until about four years ago when the church created the Alliance," Doyle said.

"Since then I have gone to Hartford to lobby for their recognition. I have come to know gay people and realized the only difference is sexual orientation. They are wonderful people," Doyle said.

"They deserve the same rights as heterosexuals. They also deserve the social recognition that marriage brings. This is not just for them but also their family, children, parents," Doyle said.

"We're all God's children. He doesn't turn his back on anyone and neither should we," Doyle said...

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CT Judiciary Committee approves gay marriage bill

by Susan Haigh
Associated Press
Thursday Apr 12, 2007

A bill that would make Connecticut the second state in the nation to allow gay couples to marry passed its first legislative hurdle Thursday.

The Judiciary Committee voted 27-15 to approve the bill, which next goes to the House of Representatives, where its prospects are uncertain.

Two years ago, Connecticut approved civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, granting them all of the state rights and privileges of married couples. But gay rights advocates called on the legislature to take the final step this session and allow gay couples to marry...

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Civil unions draw debate

By KEVIN LANDRIGAN
Nashua Telegraph
klandrigan@nashuatelegraph.com
Published: Wednesday, Apr. 11, 2007

Supporters and opponents of civil unions for gay and lesbian couples traded emotional stories during the bill’s final public hearing Tuesday.

snip

Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire, said he and his partner of 20 years pay property taxes in Weare and volunteer for town and civic causes but don’t enjoy the same rights as married couples.

“We support our state in every way asked of us by our citizens, yet we don’t get equal treatment in return,” Robinson said.

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Gay bishop speaks in favor of N.H. civil unions

The Advoate
April 12, 2007

V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Church's sole openly gay bishop, added his voice to New Hampshire's civil unions debate, saying legalizing same-sex unions doesn't threaten religion or families.

Robinson testified at a state senate hearing on civil unions, which passed the house last week. He said he went to the legislature as a religious leader and a New Hampshire citizen seeking equality for himself and his partner of nearly 20 years.

"What we seek in the civil realm is the equal treatment by the state government in supporting this development of our relationship with the legal, financial, and societal underpinnings which are afforded married couples at the very moment they say 'I do,' " he said.

snip

"Would that we could get all heterosexual couples to take these commitments and responsibilities so seriously," he said.

snip

"This legislation simply has nothing do to with religious bodies and their affirmation or rejection of such unions in the civil realm," he said.

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N.H. House passes civil unions

Lawmakers vote to extend rights, 243-129
By ERIC MOSKOWITZ
Concord Monitor
April 05. 2007 8:00AM

In what lawmakers called a victory for fairness and equality, the House voted by a nearly 2-to-1 margin yesterday to endorse creating civil unions for same-sex couples.

The 243-129 vote gave supporters hope that the bill will pass the Senate this spring and be signed into law by Gov. John Lynch, to take effect Jan. 1. That would make New Hampshire the fourth state to adopt civil unions, after Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey. Only Massachusetts allows legal marriage for same-sex couples.

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