Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is civil marriage?
2. What is religious marriage?
3. Does the NHFTM want both religious and civil marriage?
4. I have heard that there are some churches that will perform religious marriages for same sex couples. Is this true?
5. Why not work for civil unions?
6. Why does NHFTM seek civil marriage?

What is civil marriage?

Civil marriage is the legal agreement between two people and the state, which is recognized at all levels of government. Civil marriage confers hundreds of rights, privileges, and responsibilities to couples at the state level. There are 1,049 rights and responsibilities associated with civil marriage.

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What is religious marriage?

Religious marriages of opposite-sex couples are recognized by all levels of government and are performed by representatives of a religious organization. Gay and lesbian couples who marry within their religious communities are denied legal recognition

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Does NHFTM want both religious and civil marriage?

No. NHFTM is seeking civil marriage rights and responsibilities equal to that of opposite-sex civil marriages.

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I have heard that there are some churches that will perform religious marriages for lesbian and gay couples. Is this true?

Yes. There are churches that will perform marriage or commitment ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples. Each religious denomination has its own set of beliefs and confers religious marriage according to its tradition. Some recognize lesbian and gay relationships while others choose not to do so. Civil marriage would not change a religious denominations' ability to affirm or deny gay and lesbian marriage within their faith community.

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Why not work for civil unions?

Vermont citizens worked hard for marriage. Unfortunately, they were forced to accept civil unions. Civil unions created a parallel institution to marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Yet civil unions are not marriage, nor are they marriage in all but name. Civil unions are not a substitute for marriage for a number of reasons such as common understanding, portability, federal laws and federal preemption.

Common Understanding — One of the benefits of marriage is that everyone knows what it is. Many do not know what a civil union is, and thus civil unions encounter more resistance and are treated differently from marriages.

Portability — Even though civil unions deserve legal respect beyond Vermont, there are major questions about whether couples joined in civil union will have any legal protections beyond Vermont's borders.

Federal Laws — The Vermont Civil Union law does not address the 1,049 provisions of federal law that provide protections or impose obligations on based on their marital status.

Federal Preemption — There are times when both the state and the federal governments make law in an area, such as health insurance coverage. Although Vermont's law attempts to treat equally those who are spouses in a civil union and those who are spouses in a marriage, there may well be times when federal law trumps state law. In such cases, the civil union law is inoperative as to that issue.

** Courtesy of Civil Marriage for Same-Sex Couples: The Facts. GLAD, August, 2002.

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Why does NHFTM seek civil marriage?

Marriage provides and expects many things. Of course, there are the hundreds of state rights and responsibilities. Marriage also carries with it a certain understanding of responsibility and stability in ones relationship. It is a cultural status that, although not everyone may agree with, everyone has an understanding of the relationship involved in a marriage. When a couple is married, the commitment they make to each other is expected to last a lifetime. Though marriage that commitment is not only a private statement but a public one as well.

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