Gov. John Lynch is facing “a vote of conscience” on whether to allow gay marriage in New Hampshire.
That’s the assessment of Andy Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, who said he does not believe the popular governor will be hurt politically no matter what his decision.
The House passed the gay marriage bill Wednesday, paving the way for it to land on Lynch’s desk. He has three choices facing him: He can veto the bill, sign it or allow it to become law without his signature.
He has stated publicly he believes the state’s civil union law passed in 2007 provides all the legality needed for gay couples and he doesn’t personally support gay marriage. He has also said he has not made up his mind as governor how he will come down on the issue.
No matter what his decision, said Smith, he’ll be just fine.
“He’s not in a position where it matters to him electorally. He’s got a 70-percent approval rating. He can say whatever. He’s got his own independent political machine that’s outside the Democratic party,” he said. “If he signs it, the Republicans will gripe, but they have never been able to field a credible candidate against him. If he vetoes it, the Democrats are still going to vote for him (in 2010).”
Smith said the votes in the House and the Senate — 178-167 and 13-11, respectively — are not dissimilar to state residents’ feeling on the issue. In the most recent poll conducted by the center, 55 percent favored gay marriage and 39 opposed it. The latter number has trended down slightly since the center started polling several years ago, he said. Initially, 42 percent were in opposition. See Same-sex marriage is all up to lynch
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“We are pleased that the
Court of Appeal did the right thing for Ms. Somers and recognized her right to change her
birth certificate,” said Ms. Wertz. “No one who is born in California should be denied the opportunity to change their
birth certificate simply because they are
transgender and have moved out of state. Ms. Somers can now rest assured that her birth record will always reflect who she truly is, a right that all
people born in California enjoy. This is a
landmark victory for
transgender people all over the country.”
“I brought this
petition because I did not feel that my transition would be complete until my
birth certificate showed who I am. Everybody in my life accepts me for who I am, and I wanted to make sure my officials records did too,” said Ms. Somers. “I am extremely happy about this
victory and grateful for all the work that TLC has done on my behalf.”
The decision also represents a
victory for older
transgender people. “It is courageous for a person at any age to fight for their identity. But to have a
woman at the age of 67 seek recognition in
two states to have her
gender identity acknowledged takes remarkable
bravery,” said Karen Taylor, Director of Advocacy &
amp; Training at Services &
amp; Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE). “SAGE has many
constituents who spent
decades hiding who they were, living under terrible oppression and
fear. We understand and celebrate the
courage of all older
adults who dare to step forward and demand to be acknowledged for who they are. Ms. Somers is an
inspiration to all who seek justice and
equal treatment, at any age.”
The decision, Somers v.
Superior Court, is currently available on the court’s website
www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/A123445.pdf.
-30-
Equality California (
EQCA) is the largest statewide
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender-rights advocacy
organization in California. In the past
decade,
EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited
legal protections for
LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation.
EQCA has passed over 50 pieces of
legislation and continues to advance
equality through legislative advocacy, public
education and community empowerment.
www.eqca.org The
Transgender Law Center (TLC) is a
civil rights organization advocating for
transgender communities. TLC uses direct legal services,
education, community organizing, and advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of
transgender people and their families.
www.transgenderlawcenter.org
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