New Hampshire legalizes gay marriage

Gay and lesbian weddings have boosted the Massachusetts economy by about $111 million, according to a study by the Williams Institute of the University of California.

Same-sex couples have been getting married in Connecticut since last year and in Iowa since April. Gay marriage laws in Vermont and Maine are due to take effect in September. The New York State Assembly passed a gay marriage bill last month, but it faces an uphill battle in the state Senate.

With the vote in New Hampshire, five out of six New England states now have passed legislation authorizing gay marriage, making Rhode Island with its large Roman Catholic population the region's only hold-out.

(Editing by Jason Szep and Mohammad Zargham)