On January 1, New Hampshire became the
latest state to legalize gay marriage. Fifty-four
gay couples married on the day the law took effect. But
opponents are mounting a campaign to undo those marriages, the
Washington Post reported.
Representative Alfred Baldasaro, a
Republican from Londonberry, is the primary sponsor behind a bill
that would repeal the law. Baldasaro testified Tuesday at a House
Judiciary Committee hearing on the measure.
“A man and a woman together create a
family where individuals of the same gender cannot create a family,”
Rep. Jordan Ulery, a Republican from Hudson, testified.
But Representative Ed Butler, an openly
gay Democrat, urged the committee to reject the proposal.
“Marriage is an incredible
acknowledgement of our equality. Please don't take it away after so
shortly having given us the opportunity to feel the incredibly
powerful stamp of access to that word. Marriage is a powerful word.”
House members are also considering a
bill that would put a gay marriage ban in the state constitution.
Opponents concede the
Democrat-controlled Legislature is unlikely to reconsider its
decision this year, but they hope to use the issue to alter the
political landscape in their favor in November.
State Representative David Bates, a
Republican from Windham, is behind a grassroots effort to raise the
issue at town hall meetings this spring. The
campaign encourages people to put a non-binding resolution calling
for a vote on gay marriage before town voters. Bates said he
expects a large majority of New Hampshire's towns will put the issue
on the agenda.