New Hampshire is now the fifth state to officially allow same-sex marriages. A bill signed into law in early June of last year came into effect on January 1 at midnight. Same-sex couples rushed to have marriages performed just after midnight.
After exhaustive debate and negotiation this summer, the marriage bill passed the state Senate 14-10 and the state House 198-176. New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed the bill only after lawmakers included provisions to protect religious institutions that refused to protect same-sex marriages.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa also allow same-sex marriage, and Washington, D.C. just passed legislation, currently under consideration by Congress, that will legalize same-sex marriages.