N.H. governor may approve gay-marriage bill

BOSTON (Reuters) - New Hampshire's governor said on Thursday he would sign a same-sex marriage bill if lawmakers revise it to increase legal protections for religious institutions opposed to gay marriage.

The statement by John Lynch, a Democrat, looks set to bring gay marriage to a sixth U.S. state -- and the fourth this year. Gay marriage advocates and leaders of both chambers in the legislature expressed support for Lynch's revisions.

"If the legislature passes this language, I will sign the same-sex marriage bill into law," Lynch said, referring to additional protections for religious groups. "If the legislature doesn't pass these provisions, I will veto it."

Gay marriage has been a hotbutton issue in the "culture wars" of U.S. politics since 2003, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize it. New Hampshire outlawed it in

Opponents, mostly religious conservatives, see it as a threat to the "traditional family" that is ordained by God and the foundation of civilization. Supporters see gay marriage as a rights issue following the path blazed by the civil rights movement that fought for equal rights for black Americans.

Lynch said Vermont and Connecticut, two nearby states that have legalized gay marriage, put in place stronger measures to protect religious institutions than New Hampshire's bill offered.

The governor's suggested changes would make clear that religious groups would not be required to perform gay weddings or provide benefits to gay couples.

The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, urged the legislature to work with Lynch "to make this important bill a reality." House Speaker Terie Norelli said she would act on Lynch's suggestions as quickly as possible

Connecticut last year became the second state to legalize gay marriage. In April, Iowa and Vermont followed suit. Last week, Maine's governor signed a gay-marriage bill. The New York State Assembly passed similar legislation on Tuesday.

If New Hampshire's lawmakers back Lynch's proposed changes, five out of six New England states will have passed legislation legalizing gay marriage, making tiny Rhode Island with its large Roman Catholic population the region's only hold-out.

(Reporting by Jason Szep, editing by Patricia Zengerle)