Lives changed by gay marriage law

Melissa Weeks remembers when she was a member of the Open Door City Coalition in 1993, fighting to expand the rights of gays and lesbians in the city of Portsmouth.
"We've come so far," she said Wednesday afternoon, after learning that Gov. John Lynch was ready to sign the state's gay marriage bill into law.
"Oh, my goodness. I just can't believe it," said Weeks, an Exeter resident. "This is fantastic. It's about time."
Weeks was among several gay and straight people alike who expressed delight at the passage of the bill by both the House and Senate on Wednesday.
"Two years ago when the civil union bill passed, there were people who thought the sky might fall," said Speaker of the House Terri Norelli, D-Portsmouth on Wednesday. "And they found out the sky didn't fall. I'm encouraged that this is one more step on the evolutionary path toward equality for all citizens of this state."
Joanne Lembo and Lee Williams of Exeter have been together for 11 years, and were married last year in California, "the first full day when marriage was allowed," said Lembo. The couple also has a daughter.
"We're so thrilled," said Lembo. "This is huge. I'm so proud of New Hampshire. I'm very grateful to be in a state and a community that accepts me for who I am."
Among those for whom the day was particularly important was Portsmouth Rep. Jim Splaine, a sponsor of the original gay marriage bill and a longtime advocate for gay and lesbian rights. Splaine was assistant mayor of Portsmouth in 1993, when he introduced an ordinance that would have required Portsmouth to do business with companies that did not discriminate. It was the same effort that Weeks recalls as part of the Open Door City Coalition.
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York Weekly