Op-Ed: Thank You, New Hampshire - Celebrating Our Freedom to Marry

This week, New Hampshire celebrated the one-year anniversary of the successful defeat of a legislative bill that would have repealed our state’s marriage law, which passed in 2009.

This week, New Hampshire celebrated the one-year anniversary of the successful defeat of a legislative bill that would have repealed our state’s marriage law, which passed in 2009.

New Hampshire will forever hold a special place in our hearts: Jenn was born and raised in the state, we both graduated from NH high schools, and Christina attended undergrad at Keene State College. Last year, as we watched hundreds of legislators stand on the right side of history by voting to defeat the bill that would have stripped same-sex couples of their freedom to marry, we were very proud.

We have known each other for over five years (in fact, our ‘official’ five-year anniversary is next week, March 26, the same day that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Proposition 8 case), and we cannot wait until May 2014, when  we will exchange vows and say “I do” in a state where we have so much history together. By voting against repeal of the marriage law, the NH legislature – including more than 100 Republicans – was supporting couples like us.

Jenn (left), Christina (right) 

In the midst of our engagement last summer, we had the opportunity to reflect on all of the memories we have made together so far  – from our first real date, where Christina drove miles to pick up Jenn and take her back to her college “prom”; to Jenn’s graduation from Colby College and acceptance into a PhD program at the University of Connecticut; to Christina’s acceptance into the MBA program at the University of Hartford; to welcoming an adorable puppy named Köda into our lives. It has truly been a whirlwind, and we are grateful for every moment we have been able to spend together. Read the entire story from the night of our engagement HERE.

Marriage is important to us for all of the reasons anyone else may want to get married – love, commitment, and family. We have found in each other the person who makes us whole, and the person we want to spend the rest of our lives with. We are excited to continue our journey together by expressing our love through marriage in front of our amazingly supportive family and friends. . By getting married, we’ll be sending the message that we are fully committed to taking care of and supporting each other through all that life has to offer.

We are proud that New Hampshire lawmakers stood up for what they believe in one year ago. Like them, a growing majority of Americans from across the country are completing their own journeys of understanding and affirming the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. The impact is clear: on Election Day, four out of four states passed ballot measures in support of marriage. This year alone, Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Minnesota have all begun to consider passing freedom to marry bills to ensure protection for all families in their states. We are proud that New Hampshire is one of the states helping to lead the way.

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