Same-sex couples won the right to marry in New Hampshire today when the state legislature approved a compromise bill that has the support of the state’s governor.  New Hampshire becomes the sixth state where same-sex couples can legally marry, and the third state to achieve that legislatively.

A marriage equality bill passed both houses earlier but Gov. John Lynch said he’d sign the bill only if it was amended to include stronger language assuring exemptions for religious organizations.  Today’s bill included that language.

Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe hailed the state’s openly gay legislators, whose personal stories helped persuade their colleagues to vote for the measure.  ”Being there matters.  Being open and honest matters.  Being out has the power to change hearts and minds, and today’s victory is proof of that.  I want to thank New Hampshire’s out state lawmakers, New Hampshire Freedom to Marry, the Human Rights Campaign and all whose hard work helped make this possible,” Wolfe said.

New Hampshire’s openly gay lawmakers are Rep. Ed Butler, Rep. David Pierce, and Rep. Jim Splaine.

In a special three-day session, members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives will tackle the issues of marriage equality and transgender rights, in addition to discussing cultural issues such as medicinal marijuana and the death penalty.

The House Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 10-10, on a bill that would allow same-sex couple to marry in the state. Just two years ago, the committee passed a bill that created civil unions.

The Concord Monitor reports:

Backers of the bill call it a simple equal-rights measure; opponents say it’s a dangerous change to an old social institution.

The Judiciary Committee also deadlocked last week 10-10 on a bill that would add an individuals’ transgender status to the state’s nondiscrimination laws, along with other factors such as age, sex, national origin and race.

Proponents say it would prevent landlords and employers from discriminating against those born as one sex but who identify as the other, some of whom seek sex-change procedures. Opponents dubbed it the “bathroom bill” and claimed it would allow men to prowl women’s restrooms.

Both bills will go to the House floor next week, likely Thursday, for what will likely be difficult floor fights.

Neither party has taken a formal position on either bill. Minority Leader Sherm Packard said he expects that the “vast majority of Republicans will be against” both bills. Majority Floor Leader Dan Eaton said the Democratic Party will likely leave those issues up to the consciences of members.

“I think those are issues that relate to an individual’s personal beliefs, religious beliefs,” he said. “Those are conscience issues.”

Victory Fund Development Manager Stephanie Lurz recently traveled to New Hampshire to support Sen. Hillary Clinton in her primary election. In this essay, she reflects on her experience campaigning for Clinton and her hope for a female president.

“What did you do in New Hampshire?”

It was the question I was waiting for—this time not from an adult, clearly wondering why I would deliberately spend my vacation working on a campaign—but instead from my five-year-old niece, Hannah. I explained it as simply as possible (with a very much prepared answer) and I don’t think she really understood. But that didn’t matter. For the first time ever, she heard the words president, election, and the name of one woman—Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Looking back on it, I was probably an ideal person to be going door to door in New Hampshire, talking to undecided voters. I chose Senator Clinton as my candidate a year ago for the very reasons she puts forth in her own message to voters—she is the most experienced candidate. You don’t choose a less qualified job applicant unless you have a very good reason, and I don’t feel that I have a good reason not to vote for her. But I was nervous about going up there. In recent months, I had become more and more invested in her candidacy for reasons I didn’t feel I could share.

It had been a long time since I campaigned in New Hampshire—I went up for Gore for a month in 2000. Now, eight year later, I returned to Laconia, in Belknap County–only this time, all my old friends weren’t going to be on the same team.

It wasn’t the only thing that would be different. I arrived to an office already filled with staff and interns. There would be no opportunity to build friendships this time around. With only five days left until the primary, I was immediately sent on a canvassing mission after a brief stint holding up signs on the same corner where I had stood for Gore in 2000. I spent the next four days going door to door for ten hours each day.

It sounds exhausting and it is, but something was driving me—deep down, I feared we were going to lose. Everyone thought we were going to lose. Everyone said we would lose and this campaign would be over. But I was walking around with a picture of Hannah in my back pocket and I did not want to lose.

Over time, I have become attached to the idea of a woman president. I admit it. The campaigns talk about race and gender like they don’t and shouldn’t matter but they do matter when you are a part of the group that has been disenfranchised. This was history we were making in New Hampshire. You could feel it everywhere you went.

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