Democracy for New Hampshire - GLBT

Political comedian/musician ROY ZIMMERMAN in NH!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:35:38 -0400

The Northwood Theater Workshop announces the next installment of its ongoing concert series.

Tuesday, July 29, at 7pm, acclaimed liberal singer/songwriter/comedian Roy Zimmerman will be appearing at the theater for the New Hampshire stop of his "Thanks For The Support" 50 state summer tour. Zimmerman, from San Francisco, writes and performs comedic songs about "ignorance, war, and greed".

Examples of his work can be found on his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/royzimmerman

Zimmerman has shared the stage with the likes of George Carlin, Bill Maher, Kate Clinton, Dennis Miller, Sandra Tsing Loh, kd lang, Andy Borowitz and Paul Krassner, and played a series of shows swapping songs with The Pixies' Frank Black. In the 90's he founded, performed with, and wrote all the material for the folk quartet "The Foremen" who were signed with the major record label Warner Bros/Reprise.

"Roy's lyrics move beyond poetry and achieve perfection." -Joni Mitchell

New Research Finds Gay Men, But Not Lesbians, Are Discriminated Against in Jobs

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:15:25 -0400

This is an embarrassment. Our tax dollars at work.

SOURCE: UNH Media Relations

PRESS RELEASE

October 24, 2007

DURHAM, N.H. – Gay men working in management and traditional blue-collar, male-dominated jobs make less than straight men because they are discriminated against by their employers, according to new research released today by the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics.

Obama for America

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:50:40 -0400

Join us as we make history! This Thursday night, August 9th, Barack Obama joins the Human Rights Campaign and the LOGO network in the first-ever presidential debate focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community issues.

Obama for America Official Forum Watch Party
Element Lounge
1055 Elm St.
8:00 pm (forum starts at 9:00 pm)

After Barack speaks, he'll join a call with supporters like you from all over the country! New Hampshire's very own Bishop Gene Robinson will introduce Barack on the call. Join us for the evening!

To RSVP or for more information, call Nicole at 668-2008.

Civil Unions and Lynch's Style of Governing from the Center

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:07:40 -0400

John Lynch tries, admirably, to be the governor of everyone in New Hampshire. And while this week's passage by the New Hampshire House of a bill allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil unions has inspired a lot of speculation that Governor Lynch would veto the bill, I hope he doesn't. It would really be a failure of John Lynch's style of governing and a loss for the state.

The approach that Lynch has used since being elected in 2004 has been one that avoids ideological concerns and focuses instead on the reality of how New Hampshire's families live their lives. From his work on school funding to his efforts to help people rebuild after last year's floods, he has avoided scoring political points. Instead, Lynch has chosen to keep uppermost in his mind the real help that real families need. He faces emerging realities and adapts — politically and administratively — to those new realities.

Comments wanted for article on the 2008 Presidential Primary

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:27:34 -0500

Hello,
I am currntly working on a series of articles for www.newhampshireprimary.blogspot.com, as well as a possible short book on the upcoming 2008 New Hampshire Presidential Primary. Anyone interested may contribute comments or thoughts by emailing me at dwa@unh.edu or comment here. The piece/pieces will focus on the views of New Hampshire voters and their preferences in terms of the candidates. Namely, I'd like to know what issues New Hampshire voters care about the most, and the candidates they feel best represent their interests. One may also want to comment on past elections, campaign experiences, etc...
Thanks!
David Anderson
Graduate Student/Writer/Activist
University of New Hampshire

All American Social featuring U.S. Senator Joe Biden

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:13:40 -0400

U.S. Senator Joe Biden has announced he will visit Salem, NH on July 21 to meet with the residents of southern Rockingham County and Democratic candidates for federal and state elected offices.

Senator Biden (D – Del), a 2008 Presidential candidate, will be the featured speaker in support of Executive Council candidate Bev Hollingworth at an “old-fashioned – all-American social” to be held at the Derry/Salem Elks Lodge, 39 Shadow Lake Road (Route 111), Salem.

The event, which is open to the public and free of charge, will begin at 5 p.m. Hot dogs, ice cream and one-on-one conversation with numerous candidates promise to provide an entertaining and informative evening.

Former Senate President Hollingworth (D – Hampton) is a candidate for the District 3 Executive Council seat. The event is co-sponsored by the Salem and Windham Area Democrats. Anyone desiring additional information should contact Kathy Cote at (603) 893-6846.

Please RSVP to teamhollingworth@msn.com, or call 893-6846 or 893-6677

House kills gay marriage amendment legislation

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:37:45 -0500

House kills amendment to ban gay marriages

The New Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly today against a proposed amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage.

The late afternoon vote was 207-125.

The amendment would have defined marriage as the union of one woman and one man.

Read the rest of the article

Anti-Marriage Amendment Floor Vote Delayed Until Tuesday March 21

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:34:23 -0500

The New Hampshire House of Representatives has delayed the vote on CACR 34 until Tuesday, March 21. CACR 34 proposes to amend the New Hampshire Constitution to not only prohibit same-sex couples from marrying in New Hampshire, but to prohibit the recognition of civil unions and domestic partnerships as well.

Three steps to defeating the Constitutional Amendment:

1. Call your Representative today and ask them to oppose CACR 34. You can find your legislator at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/whosmyleg/. Use the talking points below and tell them to VOTE NO on CACR-34 and NO to any amendments to the bill.

2. E-mail a friend and ask them to do the same.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to urge other voters to do the same.

We know that there will be a floor fight on this legislation and that the sponsors will be offering an amendment to the bill in an effort to get Representative to vote to pass the Constitutional Amendment.

Supporters of the Constitutional Amendment (including right-wing evangelical groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council) are generating thousands of calls and letters from their supporters. Your Representative must hear from you if we are to stop this Amendment from passing!

Representative Splaine weighs in on the "marriage amendment"

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:51:50 -0500

To Discriminate Or Not, That Is The Question

Representative Jim Splaine, blogging on NH Insider, writes about the proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage:

On Thursday, March 9th, the NH House will take action on CACR 34, the Constitutional Amendment to "define" marriage for our state as part of that document. It would be the first time ever that we would formally write exclusion and discrimination into our State Constitution, which for over two hundred years has stood the test of time, and has been a model for the rights of human beings.

Rep. Splaine's blog includes the Judiciary Committee's report, which includes recommendations against passage of the legislation:

Traditionally the State Constitution has been perceived as a protector for minority rights and the idea that an amendment would take away a minority right would seem to be an anathema. CACR 34 is clearly discriminatory to a particular class of people. The majority of the committee feels that this "House of the People" should not enshrine discrimination of any kind in our NH Constitution. All our citizens deserve the freedoms, protections and rights guaranteed in our constitution.

Thursday March 9: Floor Vote in House of Representatives on Anti-Marriage Amendment

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:52:52 -0500

On Thursday, March 9, the New Hampshire House of Representatives will vote on CACR 34. CACR 34 proposes to amend the New Hampshire Constitution to not only prohibit same-sex couples from marrying in New Hampshire, but to prohibit the recognition of civil unions and domestic partnerships as well.

Three steps to defeating the Constitutional Amendment:

1. Call your Representative today and ask them to oppose CACR 34. You can find your legislator at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/whosmyleg/. Use the talking points below and tell them to VOTE NO on CACR-34 and NO to any amendments to the bill.

2. E-mail a friend and ask them to do the same.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to urge other voters to do the same.

We know that there will be a floor fight on this legislation and that the sponsors will be offering an amendment to the bill in an effort to get Representative to vote to pass the Constitutional Amendment.

Supporters of the Constitutional Amendment (including right-wing evangelical groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council) are generating thousands of calls and letters from their supporters. Your Representative must hear from you if we are to stop this Amendment from passing!

The freedom to marry amendment

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 16:15:36 -0500

On The Exchange on NHPR I heard Ray Buckley discussing the commission to study gay and lesbian marriage. I wanted him to be a stronger and clearer advocate. I believe the issue of who can marry and call it marriage will be the great wedge issue of the coming election year. We need to have done our homework and have our arguments worked out.

My main critique of the Democratic position, if Raymond Buckley’s discussion represents it, is that it seems ambivalent about the correctness of the freedom being defended.

I think the ambivalence came from a dual position. There are two separate questions and we conflate them. The core position is whether or not it is simply right, good, fair, and civil to afford gay people the right to love whom and how they please. The secondary position (which is important, but secondary) is whether the general public is “ready” to accept the first position.

In other words, it’s a civil rights issue. Opponents of Gay coupling say it is not a civil rights issue. It was strange to hear that concession on The Exchange because at the end of the program, both fell into drawing on many analogies from the civil rights struggle. Both spoke about “mixed marriages” and how interracial marriages used to be illegal.

Feature story: The right-wing power brokers behind Craig Benson

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 12:58:02 -0400

This article sums up an in-depth series about the right wing in NH. I've purposely kept it short for distribution to the New Hampshire press prior to the election. I'll return to a much more in-depth analysis in the weeks to come.

On October 7, the Union Leader reported that veteran political operative David Carney will head up field organization, event planning and overall strategy for Governor Benson's re-election campaign. This is the same David Carney who made headlines in August for his role in a controversial Ralph Nader ballot petition drive at a George Bush event in Stratham. Mr. Carney plays politics for keeps.

On July 29, the Union Leader reported that Mr. Carney had founded American Resolve, a self-described "proactive conservative political organization" based in Washington, D.C. Former Governor John Sununu and national conservative power broker Grover Norquist are the co-chairmen of American Resolve. Mr. Carney is the executive director.

I won't list the impressive credentials of Mr. Carney and Mr. Sununu. Suffice to say that these guys are connected at every level of conservative politics — everyone returns their calls.

Read the rest of the story

McKim Mitchell for State Senate (District 10)

Thu, 02 Sep 2004 20:51:31 -0400

State Representative McKim Mitchell is running for the state senate because his opponent has voted 34 out of 166 times. A former policeman, McKim builds stone walls and used to run a design-build landscape firm with his partner. Property tax relief, education, the environment, and social issues are at the heart of this reliable, diligent, compassionate candidate's critical campaign to represent the Keene area.

Mailing address:

McKim for Senate
PO Box 6
Chesterfield, NH 03443

Campaign office:

2 Eagle Court, Keene, NH
(603) 352-0854
www.mckimforsenate.com

Campaign manager: Alexander Lee

Full disclosure: Alexander Lee is a member of the Board of Directors of Democracy for New Hampshire. Alex recused himself from the Board's discussion and vote on McKim's nomination to the DFNH Dozen.

Feature story: Vermont's lessons on gay marriage

Sat, 31 Jul 2004 18:06:21 -0400

The article below is the most recent in a series of syndicated articles written by Governor Howard Dean. DFNH is proud to present this series for your reading pleasure.

By Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.

Last week’s Senate discussion about gay marriage was another attempt by the Republican Party to gain political points by appealing to our worst prejudices.

In the spring of 2000, Vermont became the first state to recognize same-sex partnerships and to make sure that every right outlined in Vermont’s Constitution and laws applied equally to heterosexual and homosexual Vermonters. Every right but one. Gay and lesbian Vermonters do not have the right to call their unions marriage. The fallout was the least civil public debate in the state in over a century. Respectable church leaders railed against homosexuals and not-so-respectable ones vowed to oust any legislator who voted for the bill. Five Republican members of the House lost their seats in primaries. In the general election, Democrats lost control of the House for the first time in 14 years. My own race, for a sixth term, was the most difficult in my career.

Gregg shifts on gay marriage, Sununu undecided

Fri, 23 Jul 2004 07:11:01 -0400

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — New England’s 12 senators span the political spectrum, from Massachusetts’ liberal lion to the more conservative thinkers in New Hampshire, but they are finding some common ground on one of the political season’s most contentious issues: gay marriage.

At least three of the region’s five Republicans will join the six Democrats and one Independent and vote against the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage this week.

read full story

read about the July 14th senate vote