Washington - Today the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee postponed legislation that would repeal the freedom to marry until, most likely, early next year. The Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry issued the following joint statement:

"We urge the committee to kill the bill that would take away marriage from loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. New Hampshire voters know that repealing the freedom to marry does nothing to solve the economic problems facing the state and in fact does great harm to their friends and neighbors who continue to live their lives with similar struggles and triumphs as every other family.

"Eliminating the freedom to marry doesn't square with New Hampshire's 'Live Free or Die' values.' More than 60 percent of Granite Staters, according to two recent polls, do not want to take marriage away from loving couples. Sixty-six percent of Independents and even 35 percent of Republicans oppose attempts to repeal the law.

"The committee's decision to delay will allow even more time for citizens of the Granite State to see that gay and lesbian couples sharing in the freedom to marry strengthens families without impacting anyone else's marriage."

In 2009, Gov. John Lynch signed into law a bill ending the exclusion of committed gay and lesbian couples from marriage. Now, more than a year after this law has been in effect and about 1,300 loving couples have been married, there is an effort underway in the Legislature to take away marriage from gay and lesbian couples.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.