Jubilant gay couples rang in the New Year in New Hampshire with wedding vows to celebrate the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage Jan. 1.
At midnight, New Hampshire joined Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay marriage.
About 15 couples braved the cold to exchange vows outside the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord. Others planned private ceremonies around the state, despite having exchanged vows before.
Canterbury residents Beth McGuinn and Ruth Smith spent thousands of dollars on a commitment ceremony in 1993, then exchanged civil union vows right after midnight Jan. 1, 2008, wearing mittens and caps around a campfire. They plan to get married, but not until Oct. 2, the date of their original commitment ceremony.
â┚¬Å”This is big. It may not give us anything more, but we have fought almost two decades for this,â┚¬Â said McGuinn, 48. â┚¬Å”The word marriage means a lot. It's universally recognized. It's not about rights. It's about being accepted. It's about being part of the community and part of society.â┚¬ÂÂ
The law grants no new rights to gays but eliminates the separate status for civil unions. Democratic Gov. John Lynch, who personally opposes gay marriage, signed the legislation after lawmakers passed key language affirming religious rights. The law spells out that churches and religious groups can't be forced to officiate at gay marriages or provide other services.
Couples already in civil unions have three options to convert their statuses to marriages. They can have marriage ceremonies, file marriage paperwork with their town clerks to convert their statuses during 2010 or wait until the unions are automatically converted in 2011.
