NH: If All Goes As Planned ...

New Hampshire will provide marriage equality by Thursday or Friday of this week. Today (Tuesday), there are public hearings. Votes in both houses of the state legislature are expected on Wednesday. Thereafter, Governor Lynch is expected to promptly sign into law the thee bills that comprise the marriage equality package.

Austin Nimrocks of ADF plans to testify at today's hearing. According to Nimrocks, "Contrary to what marriage redefinition activists might argue, redefining marriage in New Hampshire would have serious consequences for the religious community beyond the limited protections the governor has proposed." ADF insists that "recognizing same-sex marriage in the Granite State would open up a Pandora’s Box of new attacks on religious freedom."

Those opposing marriage equality continue to assert that gay marriage has dire consequences. They have yet to offer a cogent argument that defines what those consequences are. Ultimately, this is a charade. The Christian right oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds and there is nothing that can be incorporated into the legislation that will appease them — other than no legislation at all. The only freedoms at stake are those of the gay and lesbian citizens of New Hampshire to marry and to enjoy equal protection under the law.

New Hampshire will become the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage. Similar to those states that preceded New Hampshire, it is reasonable to conclude that the state and its residents are unlikely to be cast into the cosmos. I am cautiously certain that the probabilities of being hit by a comet or tornado will be roughly the same after these bills are signed into law as they are today. As for religious freedoms, that is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution which remains in full force and effect.