News
League Warns Maine Next Without Vigilance
There was much local and regional television and print media coverage of the event, which was organized by New Hampshire's radical homosexual lobby groups, Congregational (UCC), and Universalist Unitarian denominational ministers. Reports from the Associated Press were published on the websites for Fox News and USA Today, among many others. New Hampshire becomes the fourth New England state (along with Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts) to legally allow homosexual marriage or civil unions to be performed. New Jersey is the only other state in America currently that formally recognizes the practice. The ministers who officiated the mass homosexual ceremonies were: Rev. Dr. Tess Baumberger of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Franklin, New Hampshire; Rev. Jed Rardin and Rev. Carlos Jauhola-Straight, both of the South Congregational Church (UCC) in Concord, New Hampshire;
Two non-religious officiates were also present: New Hampshire State Representative Gail C. Morrison (D-Sanborton), and Sheila Quinn. Both Morrison and Quinn are registered Justices of the Peace and 'out' lesbians. New Hampshire's homosexual civil unions law gives all the rights and privileges of traditional marriage to homosexual couples. The legislation that went into effect on January 1, 2008, was passed by the New Hampshire Legislature in 2007 by a combined 257-139 vote, and signed into law last May. Leaders of both the New Hampshire Republican Party and New Hampshire's Cornerstone Policy Research both stated recently they would not lead an effort to overturn the newly enacted homosexual civil unions law, according to a news article in Seacoastonline.com. The League issued a press release on the eve of the event which read: "With New Hampshire's enactment of its homosexual civil unions law, Maine becomes one of only two remaining New England states to not formally allow this deviant behavior.
"As it has for over 110 years, the League will defend traditional marriage, defined as between one man and one woman only, in Maine, and continue to oppose homosexual civil unions." Copies of the press release were made available both online prior to the event, and at the event, to the various media outlets present. Maine Pastor Neil Farrar of Maine's Church on the Rock in Topsham publicly asked listeners of Maine's Christian radio station WBCI for a day of fasting and prayer on January 1, 2008 to acknowledge New Hampshire's homosexual civil unions law going into effect.
Homosexual civil unions in New Hampshire are likely to be the subject of media interest throughout the first week of January, 2008, and possibly throughout the first half of the year. New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation U.S.Presidential primary is set for January 8, and recently the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, the Reverend V. Gene Robinson, announced plans in June to participate as a "bride" to his homosexual partner in a civil union ceremony. © Copyright by Christian Civic League of Maine. All rights reserved. |
