New Hampshire Sends Message on Marriage Equality: Leave it Alone
New Hampshire towns have resoundingly rejected the vote to discriminate - an attempt to pressure for a statewide vote aimed at repealing marriage equality. In direct contrast to the intent of the town meeting petition campaign, voters sent a clear message that the people of New Hampshire do not vote to take away the rights of their neighbors. Results show:
• An astounding 80 towns rejected the vote to discriminate thus far – versus 59 towns who passed it. The facts completely undermine marriage equality opponent's claims that the people of New Hampshire are calling for a vote.
• To put it another way, 57.5% of communities with the petition said NO to voting to take away the rights of others, compared to a mere 42.4% who voted yes.
In addition, another 86 communities - 37% of New Hampshire towns - did not even discuss the petition.
"Once we educated people about the true intent of the vote to discriminate, New Hampshire responded with such force that there is no doubt marriage equality is here to stay in the Granite State," said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of the organization Granite State Progress. "Anti-equality organizations like the National Organization for Marriage and Cornerstone Policy Research should be ashamed for pushing a misleading resolution in New Hampshire, and embarrassed for claiming a victory before they looked at the numbers. We have a strong tradition of civil liberties here and marriage equality is no exception in the Live Free or Die state."
