As the Campaign for Southern Equality continues the push for the freedom to marry across the South, the tide is shifting in NC. In May of 2012, Amendment One passed by a 61-39 margin in North Carolina. The constitutional amendment stated that, “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
Flash forward to September 2013, and a new poll from Elon shows that 43 percent of residents of North Carolinians support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, with 47 percent opposed.
Recent media coverage of same-sex couples in North Carolina calling Amendment One unconstitutional and applying for marriage licenses as part of the WE DO Campaign has restarted the debate about equality across the state. An article by the Associated Press about a same-sex couple in Guilford County requesting a marriage license very simply captures why marriage matters:
“The legal status of their 12-year relationship gained greater importance after Cheryl Bridges, 55, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004.”
How do we move forward in a state that is increasingly supportive of equal protection under the law, but not yet ready to grant basic legal protections in the areas of marriage, employment, housing and family rights? Read this op-ed in the Raleigh News & Observer by Rev. Beach-Ferrara that explains the strategy behind our push for rights.
Reuters also covered the growing push for marriage equality in North Carolina.
(Candlelight vigil in Asheville, NC in support of LGBT rights.)
We will continue pushing for rights with the WE DO Campaign. LGBT couples in their hometowns will apply for marriage licenses across North Carolina as follows:
- August 21: Madison County (completed; see media coverage)
- August 30: Forsyth County (completed; see media coverage)
- September 16: Guilford County (completed; see media coverage)
- October 2: Henderson County
- October 9: Mecklenburg County
- October 15: Buncombe County
- November 1: Transylvania County
- November 4: Cabarrus County
- November 22: Rowan County
We’re seeking a local elected official in the South who will grant a marriage license to a LGBT couple as an act of conscience.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jQxNB5FsPc[/youtube]
