New Hampshire UU Church Hosts Celebration of Civil Unions

On January 1, 2008, civil unions became legal in New Hampshire.

I’m proud to note that South Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, hosted a celebration for equal rights supporters.

The celebration was named “Standing on the Side of Love,” and attracted 250 participants.

From the Boston Globe’s article by Noah Bierman, “Gay N.H. Couples Celebrate, Gain Status in Civil Unions”:

The Unitarian church celebration included members of the congregation, elected leaders, and others who supported the legislation. Congregants prayed and listened to speeches in the 184-year-old sanctuary upstairs while Julie Slayton Frank, a church administrator and justice of the peace, performed two-minute ceremonies in the small church library downstairs, lit by soft overhead bulbs and three candles.

However, this does not mean the end of the struggle for full marriage equality in New Hampshire. SeacoastOnline quotes South Church minister Rev. Roberta Finkelstein:

“We let ourselves celebrate and honor this moment,” said Pastor Roberta Finkelstein. “But let this day also remind us that full marriage equality is still in our future in New Hampshire if we will continue to make it so.”

Congratulations to the gay and lesbian couples of New Hampshire, to all those who fought (and will continue to fight) for equal rights in New Hampshire, and to South Church!

For links to additional media coverage, visit South Church’s website.