PPNNE Applauds the Passage of Marriage Equality

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Applauds the Passage of Marriage Equality

Based on this vision Planned Parenthood of Northern New England believes in the fundamental right of each individual in New Hampshire, and throughout the world, to make his or her own decisions about sexuality, relationships and reproduction, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence.

We advocate an end to inequality and discrimination that are barriers to realization of the right to make private decisions regarding sexuality, relationships and reproduction, we trust individuals to make responsible choices, we support loving families in all of their relationship forms, and we work to ensure that they are strong and secure.  That being said, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England opposes efforts in NH to limit the privacy interest of gay and lesbian couples or to limit their civil rights.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is an advocate for gay and lesbian marriage.  We are proud of our local advocacy efforts in support of Gay Marriage in Northern New England.  We are proud of and grateful for the tireless and successful work of local NH advocacy groups, such as NH Freedom to Marry, as well as individual NH citizens.  We are prouder still of NH legislatures who demonstrated leadership by listening to all the voices of NH voters.

As a representative for an organization that advocates an end to inequality and discrimination, as a woman who grew up in New Hampshire and has returned to raise her own family in NH, and as a woman whose own mixed marriage would have been illegal not so long ago, I extend sincere gratitude to the NH legislatures who worked to ensure the passage of Gay Marriage and to those NH legislatures who voted in support of Gay Marriage.

It is always the right time to end discrimination.  Congratulations NH.