LGBT Rights New Hampshire, Uned Stat: homosexualy, gay marriage, gay adoptn, servg the ary, sexual orientatn discrimatn protectn, changg legal genr, donatg blood, age of nsent, and more.
Contents:
- GAYS SH TO MARRY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATEHOE
- NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE PASS GAY MARRIAGE BILL
- N.H. ERNOR SIGNS GAY MARRIAGE BILL
- NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGALIZ GAY MARRIAGE
- NEW HAMPSHIRE LATT STATE TO ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGESTATE BE SIXTH TO ALLOW SAME-SEX {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY GIL KFMANJUNE 4, 2009/1:35 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY GIL KFMANJUNE 4, 2009 / 1:35 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"NEW HAMPSHIRE LATT STATE TO ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2009-06-04T17:35:41.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2009-06-04T17:35:41.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"GIL KFMAN","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON WEDNDAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE BEME THE SIXTH STATE TO ALLOW GAY UPL TO WED. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE APPROVED REVISNS TO A SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE BILL, AND WAS PROMPTLY SIGNED BY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR JOHN LYNCH, ACRDG TO THE NEW YORK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE BILL WAS PASSED AFTER PROVISNS REQUTED BY LYNCH WERE ADD THAT ENSURED WOULD NOT FORCE RELIG ANIZATNS THAT OPPOSE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO PARTICIPATE CEREMONI CELEBRATG . THE ORIGAL BILL EXEMPTED MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY OM HAVG TO PERFORM SAME-SEX MARRIAG, BUT LYNCH SAID HE WOULD VETO UNLS LANGUAGE WAS ADD THAT WOULD ALSO EXEMPT RELIG GROUPS AND THEIR EMPLOYE OM HAVG TO TAKE PART SUCH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LYNCH HAD LONG SUPPORTED CIVIL UNNS FOR SAME-SEX UPL -- WHICH AFFORD SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE RIGHTS AND RPONSIBILI AS MARRIAGE -- BUT HAD NOT ENDORSED MARRIAGE FOR GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A STATEMENT FOLLOWG THE SIGNG OF THE BILL, HE SAID THE ARGUMENTS HE HEARD FAVOR OF FULL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR GAYS NVCED HIM THAT "A SEPARATE SYSTEM IS NOT AN EQUAL SYSTEM. ... TODAY, WE ARE STANDG UP FOR THE LIBERTI OF SAME-SEX UPL BY MAKG CLEAR THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE SAME RIGHTS, RPONSIBILI -- AND RPECT -- UNR NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW." NEW HAMPSHIRE PASSED A CIVIL-UNN LAW TWO YEARS AGO, AND THOSE UNNS WILL NOW NVERT TO MARRIAG ON JANUARY 1, 2011, IF THE UPL DON'T TAKE ACTN TO NVERT THEM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE NEW MARRIAGE LAW WILL TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1. GAY MARRIAGE BEME LEGAL IOWA APRIL, JOG MASSACHETTS, MAE, CONNECTICUT AND VERMONT AS STAT THAT ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. NEW YORK IS ALSO NSIRG A BILL THAT WOULD LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE THAT STATE, AND GAY-RIGHTS ADVOT CALIFORNIA HAVE VOWED TO TRY AND PUT A REFERENDUM ON THE 2010 BALLOT AN EFFORT TO OVERTURN [ARTICLE ID="1598748"]PROPOSN 8[/ARTICLE], WHICH PASSED NOVEMBER AND REFED MARRIAGE THE STATE AS UNNS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HEAD TO TO FD A MUNY WHERE YOU, YOUR IENDS AND YOUR FAVORE CELEBRI N GET RMED, GET HEARD AND TAKE ACTN ON THE ISSU THAT MATTER TO YOU {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
- GAYS SH TO MARRY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATEHOE
GAYS SH TO MARRY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATEHOE
Gay and lbian upl shed to marry New Hampshire on Friday when at the stroke of midnight beme the fifth U.S. state to allow same-sex marriage, reversg some setbacks for the polarizg natnal movement. * gay marriage in new hampshire *
”An early surgeIn 2010, New Hampshire beme the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage, at a time when more than two dozen stat had enacted laws or nstutnal amendments agast the practice and Congrs had passed the Defense Of Marriage Act, which nied feral regnn of gay Hampshire followed Massachetts, which was the first state to legalize the marriage back 2004, and Vermont, which 2009 beme the first state to legalize through legislatn rather than a surprisgly, there was a surge of tert the weddgs New Hampshire, both om upl who already had a civil unn, which had been legal New Hampshire for two years, and om those who had never had any legal first full year of legalizatn, a whoppg 10.
The only exceptn was 2017, but even then, numbers were virtually level, creasg by jt ne om the year Bonto, director of the Civil Rights Project for GLAD, a long-time advocy group for gay rights, said an email rponse that the cle is a reflectn of how gay marriage has bee route.
Estimatg percentag of gay upl any regn is difficult, and is based on surveys and answers to Cens qutnnair. However, ’s not at all clear that gay and lbian upl do have the same level of tert marryg that oppose-sex upl might be that the prsure to marry is greater for men and women livg together bee of historil norms, or might be that the prsure to marry is greater for same-sex upl bee their muny has fought so hard for the we’ll have to see what happens the is, by the way, one tertg difference between Massachetts and New Hampshire on this topic: Genr Massachetts, nearly half of same-sex marriag are between two men, whereas New Hampshire, only one-third of them are.
NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE PASS GAY MARRIAGE BILL
New Hampshire's ernor has signed legislatn makg the state the sixth to allow gay marriage. * gay marriage in new hampshire *
“Lbians who perform masculy ral environments (by workg hard labor or actg tough, for example) are not as stigmatized as effemate gay men.
N.H. ERNOR SIGNS GAY MARRIAGE BILL
New Hampshire on Wednday beme the sixth U.S. state to thorize gay marriage, epeng a New England niche for same-sex weddgs and the spendg that wh them. * gay marriage in new hampshire *
Speakg 2005, the panel’s chair, Republin reprentative Tony Soltani of Epsom, said he wanted to protect tradnal marriage as well as the rights of gay and lbian upl. "Several panel members said that vote showed the missn was only payg lip service to securg rights for gays and lbians.
"That's what our charge was on this missn, and we chose to ignore that charge, and lve to the realm of homophobia stead. Fifty years om now, when gay marriage has bee a fa acpli, and everybody realiz 's somethg that should've happened a lot sooner, history will look back shame wh what this missn has cid to do. "The ernor didn’t want to, he had mpaigned agast gay marriage beg passed when he ra 2008, sayg let’s give civil unns a try… and when got to the Senate there was still reluctance to al wh bee we had a recsn and some other issu.
New Hampshire had seen several high profile stori up close: Charlie Man, a New Hampshire Natnal Guard member who sued to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act to see that her wife uld receive survivor benefs after her ath, and Gene Robson, elected the first openly gay Epispal bishop and a vol backer of same-sex marriage. Ryan Richman is -chair of the New Hampshire chapter of the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network, known as GLSEN-NH.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGALIZ GAY MARRIAGE
* gay marriage in new hampshire *
"In many stat this untry, you n you n be fired for beg gay. In many stat this untry you n be nied hog bee you’re gay.
So did Ed Smh of Haverhill, Massachetts, a member of the Portsmouth-based group Seaast Gay Men. "Tryg to live my gay life has been very challengg unr the social nstrats of people tryg to gus who you are, what you are, stead of jt acceptg me as I am.
BOSTON (Rters) - Gay and lbian upl shed to marry New Hampshire on Friday when at the stroke of midnight beme the fifth U.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LATT STATE TO ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGESTATE BE SIXTH TO ALLOW SAME-SEX {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY GIL KFMANJUNE 4, 2009/1:35 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY GIL KFMANJUNE 4, 2009 / 1:35 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"NEW HAMPSHIRE LATT STATE TO ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2009-06-04T17:35:41.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2009-06-04T17:35:41.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"GIL KFMAN","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON WEDNDAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE BEME THE SIXTH STATE TO ALLOW GAY UPL TO WED. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE APPROVED REVISNS TO A SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE BILL, AND WAS PROMPTLY SIGNED BY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR JOHN LYNCH, ACRDG TO THE NEW YORK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE BILL WAS PASSED AFTER PROVISNS REQUTED BY LYNCH WERE ADD THAT ENSURED WOULD NOT FORCE RELIG ANIZATNS THAT OPPOSE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO PARTICIPATE CEREMONI CELEBRATG . THE ORIGAL BILL EXEMPTED MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY OM HAVG TO PERFORM SAME-SEX MARRIAG, BUT LYNCH SAID HE WOULD VETO UNLS LANGUAGE WAS ADD THAT WOULD ALSO EXEMPT RELIG GROUPS AND THEIR EMPLOYE OM HAVG TO TAKE PART SUCH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LYNCH HAD LONG SUPPORTED CIVIL UNNS FOR SAME-SEX UPL -- WHICH AFFORD SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE RIGHTS AND RPONSIBILI AS MARRIAGE -- BUT HAD NOT ENDORSED MARRIAGE FOR GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A STATEMENT FOLLOWG THE SIGNG OF THE BILL, HE SAID THE ARGUMENTS HE HEARD FAVOR OF FULL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR GAYS NVCED HIM THAT "A SEPARATE SYSTEM IS NOT AN EQUAL SYSTEM. ... TODAY, WE ARE STANDG UP FOR THE LIBERTI OF SAME-SEX UPL BY MAKG CLEAR THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE SAME RIGHTS, RPONSIBILI -- AND RPECT -- UNR NEW HAMPSHIRE LAW." NEW HAMPSHIRE PASSED A CIVIL-UNN LAW TWO YEARS AGO, AND THOSE UNNS WILL NOW NVERT TO MARRIAG ON JANUARY 1, 2011, IF THE UPL DON'T TAKE ACTN TO NVERT THEM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE NEW MARRIAGE LAW WILL TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1. GAY MARRIAGE BEME LEGAL IOWA APRIL, JOG MASSACHETTS, MAE, CONNECTICUT AND VERMONT AS STAT THAT ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. NEW YORK IS ALSO NSIRG A BILL THAT WOULD LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE THAT STATE, AND GAY-RIGHTS ADVOT CALIFORNIA HAVE VOWED TO TRY AND PUT A REFERENDUM ON THE 2010 BALLOT AN EFFORT TO OVERTURN [ARTICLE ID="1598748"]PROPOSN 8[/ARTICLE], WHICH PASSED NOVEMBER AND REFED MARRIAGE THE STATE AS UNNS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HEAD TO TO FD A MUNY WHERE YOU, YOUR IENDS AND YOUR FAVORE CELEBRI N GET RMED, GET HEARD AND TAKE ACTN ON THE ISSU THAT MATTER TO YOU {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
It was wonrful, and was historic, ” said Lda Murphy, 50, a llege admistrator om southern New Hampshire who married Donna Swartwout, her partner of 19 were among 150 people gathered the state pal of Conrd, temperatur of about 21 gre Fahrenhe (-6 Celsi), to wns the marriag of about a dozen gay or lbian upl by a jtice of the peace as the New Year Hampshire passed s law June amid an emotnal natnal bate. Print Barack Obama oppos gay marriage while supportg other gay New England state jos Massachetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa permtg full marriage equaly for same-sex upl. C., is also on track for York state lawmakers voted agast gay marriage last month.
A same-sex marriage bill is founrg New Jersey, and California, gay marriage was overturned a popular vote 2008. As I observed, the reasons a gay or lbian divorce, and the emotns that e wh , are no different than any oppose-sex divorce. New Hampshire senate pass gay marriage bill.
GAYS SH TO MARRY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATEHOE
New Hampshire beme the sixth state to legalize gay marriage after the Senate and Hoe passed key language on relig rights and Gov.
John Lynch — who personally oppos gay marriage — signed the legislatn Wednday afternoon. Surround by gay marriage supporters, Lynch signed the bill about an hour later.
Lynch, a Democrat, had promised a veto if the law didn't clearly spell out that church and relig groups would not be forced to officiate at gay marriag or provi other servic. Massachetts, Connecticut, Mae, Vermont and Iowa already allow gay marriage, though opponents hope to overturn Mae's law wh a public vote.