New Hampshire is sixth US state to allow gay marriage
AFP
NEW YORK - New Hampshire on Wednesday became the sixth US state to allow gay marriage after the Democratic governor signed a bill on same-sex unions.
Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, signed the bill shortly after legislators in the northeastern state approved the measure, his spokesman Colin Manning said.
The lower house passed the bill earlier Wednesday by a simple majority. The upper house has already passed the same draft law.
In a statement after the vote, the lower house said the bill "distinguishes between civil and religious marriage and says that any two individuals have a right to a civil marriage. It also leaves it up to each religion whether to recognize and officiate over same-sex marriages."
In April after a vote in the state senate, Lynch had said he recognized the issue was "intensely passionate and personal, and raises strong emotions on all sides."
Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont allow gay marriage. New York's state lower house has approved a bill and the upper house is considering the issue.
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