US/NC/2011/SB/514

page type::article page status::seedling thing type::legislation

About
North Carolina Senate Bill 514, otherwise known as "Amendment One", is an attempt to further restrict same-sex marriage through an amendment to the state constitution. The bill submits to public vote the question of whether or not the state constitution should be so amended.

This bill is part of the political right wing's ongoing and pointless war on gay marriage.

Although same-sex marriage is already illegal in North Carolina, Amendment One would revoke many existing benefits conferred by city/municipal governments as well as hamper federal benefits to unmarried heterosexual couples, gay couples married out of state, and others.

It would also remove some benefits received by children of such couples, demonstrating that Republicans are quite willing to harm children for the sake of a Parthian shot against gay couples, showing the hypocrisy of their arguments that homosexual marriage is bad because it supposedly harms children.

Results
The Amendment passed popular vote on May 8 by a 22% margin, which was less than originally expected.

The backlash against this victory for "conservative" fundamentalism was immediate, and is tentatively expected to result in quicker progress for gay rights in NC than would have been possible otherwise.

had been started by the morning after the election.

Conclusions
This bill is a bad idea even for those who are opposed to gay marriage.

Also, there are no known rational reasons to oppose gay marriage in the first place.

against

 * Durham People's Alliance
 * The Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families
 * Protect All NC Families (video)
 * The Vote Against Project

for

 * Vote for Marriage NC has been placing a lot of online ads. Their primary argument: "The threat to our state's definition of marriage is real. In fact, North Carolina is the only remaining southern state that has not protected the definition of marriage in its constitution."
 * The Threat to Marriage: as usual, they never explain why this supposed "redefinition" of marriage threatens existing hetero marriages
 * "Those who do not agree with this new definition of marriage as a genderless institution existing for the benefit of adults will be treated under the law just like racists and bigots, and will be punished for their beliefs." -- this is because they are bigots. Amendment One would not prevent this.

News

 * 2012-03-20 Amendment opposition chorus grows
 * 2012-03-12 Russell and Sally Robinson Speak Out Against Amendment One: Russell's grandfather, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice William B. Rodman, authored the 1868 North Carolina Constitution. Both Robinsons are active Republicans, and have been married 58 years. News release about the video is here.