New Hampshire lawmakers approve gay civil unions

By Brian Early

CONCORD, New Hampshire (Reuters) - New Hampshire lawmakers authorized same-sex civil unions on Thursday, in a bill that will complete New England's transformation into a unique U.S. region where gay and lesbian couples have some form of legal recognition and conjugal rights.

The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 14-10 along party lines to give gays and lesbians nearly the same rights as married couples. The bill sailed through the House of Representatives on April 4, and Democratic Gov. John Lynch said last week he would sign it.

New Hampshire, known for its official motto "Live Free or Die," will become the fourth U.S. state to allow same-sex civil unions when the law takes effect on Jan 1. The law marks a shift in the state's traditionally conservative politics.

New Hampshire outlawed same-sex marriages in 1987. In 2004, in response to neighboring Massachusetts' top court allowing gay couples to marry, the state passed a law that would not recognize gay marriages from out of state.

But last year's elections signaled important political change. Democrats gained majorities in the legislature for the first time since 1874, in a state that was long a stronghold of moderate Republicans amid the liberal bastion of New England.

"We will be perceived as a free, open and tolerant society," said Janice Crawford, executive director of the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, which already produces tour guides denoting gay-friendly New Hampshire inns.

The bill brings the divisive debate over gay rights into the state that traditionally holds the first primary in the presidential nominating process. Opponents of the legislation said they hoped it would be blocked in court.

NEW ENGLAND LAWS