Moments ago, the North Carolina Senate passed SB2 in a 32-16 vote. The bill allows magistrates and other officials to refuse to perform marriages based on their personal religious beliefs.
Read more about the bill and today’s vote here.
“This discriminatory bill treats gay and lesbian couples as second-class citizens and distorts the true meaning of religious freedom,” says Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality. “Once again our legislature has demonstrated a willful disregard for the basic concept of treating all North Carolinians fairly. Like Amendment One, I believe this bill will not stand the test of time because it is rooted in animus.”
