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House Bill 436

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In New Hampshire, when bills are introduced they generally have public hearings. House Bill 436 in 2009 was for gay marriage. It claimed the following:

"This bill eliminates the exclusion of same gender couples from marriage, affirms religious freedom protections of clergy with regard to the solemnization of marriage, and provides a mechanism by which same gender couples who have entered into a civil union prior to the enactment of this bill may obtain the legal status of marriage."

I thought it would be interesting to attend the public hearing for this bill. It was also a good excuse to do a project for a film class, so I went and filmed the event.

In addition to the public hearing, there was a big rally featuring an assertive preacher. At one point the anti-bill protesters broke into "Battle Hymn of the Republic".

The footage showed both sides. I wanted to understand both the people for and against the bill. I also filmed testimonies at the public hearing (until I ran out of tape), and interviewed the person sitting next to me (a woman who was against the bill).

This experience was fascinating. It also had some weight for me personally. I was raised in a religious household that was not in favor of gay marriage. As a kid I was a baptist fundamentalist, and my religion affected my politics. However, as the gay rights movement gained steam in the U.S. I was persuaded to join that side of the argument. I didn't see why we couldn't allow consenting adults to get married, especially when they loved each other.

Filming this video was part of that change in my position. I saw a stark difference between the two sides. It was easy to feel which side I sympathized with, and it was the one that prevailed. Looking back, this footage strikes me as an interesting historical document. I hope it seems less current as time goes by.

One shot in particular makes me want to cry. It's near the beginning: a couple kids hold signs in favor of traditional marriage. They're enthusiastic and energetic. I think they have probably been religiously indoctrinated. It reminds me of those kids with the Westboro Baptist Church holding signs saying "God Hates Fags". When you're young, it's only natural to trust your elders.

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