Another day, another assault on equality. The latest comes from New Hampshire, where the newly-elected Republican legislative majority makes good on a campaign promise to repeal the state's year-and-half old marriage equality law.
A subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee voted 3-1 for a bill that would repeal same sex marriage "and bring back a form of civil unions", reports the Union Leader.
The original form of the bill would have banned both gay marriage and civil unions outright. The bill, HB 437, now allows both same-sex couples and heterosexual couples to form civil unions.
New Hampshire law allowing gay couples to marry took effect in January 2010. The bill preserves marriage for gays who have married under the current law. From the time it takes effect, marriage would be available only to men and women.
The bill allows a form of civil union that has never existed in the state, open to any two persons. It also contains language that allows any business, individual, school or association to refuse to recognize civil unions, exempting them from state laws that bar discrimination on housing, employment, contracts and grants.
The full House cannot vote on the bill until 2012.
Under its former Democratic majority in February 2010, the New Hampshire House overwhelmingly rejected a repeal of the state's marriage equality law and a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage
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