WASHINGTON — Tonight North Carolina's discriminatory and overreaching Amendment One passed, banning marriage and other forms of relationship recognition for gays and lesbians. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) civil rights organization, expressed disappointment in the vote, but characterized it as a temporary setback in the fight for equality.
"The passage of Amendment One is a heartbreaking loss for families in North Carolina, but will not stop us in the march toward full equality," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "As the country continues to move in the direction of marriage equality, our opponents have cynically interrupted the important conversations taking place which lead to increased understanding and acceptance."
Support for these constitutional amendments has been dropping over the years as support for marriage equality continues to rise nationwide. In 2004 similar amendments passed on average 71 percent to 29 percent. In 2008, the margin shrank from 57 percent to 43 percent. The average for these amendments in the South has been 75 percent to 25 percent. More on the history of state constitutional marriage bans is at: www.hrc.org/resources/entry/state-constitutional-marriage-bans.
Prior to the vote, the May 1 PPP poll showed voters under age 30 opposed the amendment by 26 points and in addition, reports indicate that youth turnout was significantly high during the early voting period. Tellingly, NC House Speaker Thom Tillis also recently said the issue was generational and that the amendment would be repealed in 20 years.
"Marriage is a tremendously motivating issue for younger voters, and we've seen an outpouring of energy against this amendment from youth," said Solmonese. "Elected officials would be wise to tap into this enthusiasm."
The amendment, which made it to the ballot after Republicans took control of both houses of the state legislature in 2010, could strip legal protections and healthcare coverage from children, threaten basic protections that all unmarried couples rely on, and harm unmarried seniors. Polling shows that when voters understood how far-reaching Amendment One was, they turned against it — but only 40 percent even knew the amendment banned civil unions.
"Our opponents were unfortunately successful in masking the broad nature of this measure," said Solmonese. "Were it not for their lies, voters would have understood the harm that this amendment will inflict on thousands of North Carolina families and would have voted against it."
HRC is proud to have been a founding member of the Coalition to Protect All NC Families and applauds all of the member organizations' efforts against Amendment One. HRC had staff on the ground for months leading a robust field, campus and faith outreach effort. In cash and in-kind contributions including staff resources, HRC's commitment to the campaign against Amendment One was nearly $500,000.
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.
AFER: Passage of North Carolina Anti-Marriage Equality Amendment a "Profound Injustice"
Los Angeles, CA — Today, North Carolina adopted Amendment One, a state constitutional amendment that prohibits marriage equality and any form of legal relationship recognition for gay and lesbian North Carolinians.
While North Carolina already denies gay and lesbian couples the fundamental freedom to marry, Amendment One writes a ban into the state's constitution. The amendment goes beyond restricting marriage equality and poses a serious threat to the well-being of families, children, women and seniors in North Carolina.
"The passage of Amendment One is a profound injustice. Singling out a class of citizens for discriminatory treatment is unfair, unlawful and violates basic American values," said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. "Gay and lesbian Americans, like their fellow citizens, want nothing more than to marry the person they love. Committed, loving couples and their families should not be denied this most fundamental freedom."
Amendment 1 sparks viral petition by NC student
RALEIGH, NC — More than 60,000 people have joined a rapidly-growing campaign on Change.org opposing North Carolina's newly approved Amendment 1, which bans same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state.
Jennifer Halweil, a student at North Carolina State University, launched the campaign on Change.org after North Carolina approved the amendment. Within two hours, it had 13,000 signatures, and less than 12 hours later, Jennifer's petition hit the 60,000 signature mark.
"It's powerful to watch people in our state, and outside of it, stand up to this hateful law," said Halweil. "Although I am not gay myself, I believe this amendment has disastrous implications for more than just gay couples, but for families and children of all walks of life in North Carolina. This law is bad for our families, our economy and our state."
"I truly believe that technology can help foster greater equality than has ever been achieved before in history," Halweil added. "Where others see failure, I see hope and an opportunity to learn and grow. My hope is that the outcry to repeal Amendment 1 will be the first stepping stone on the path to a new era in my state, and in the US as a whole."
Amendment 1 has been the focus of considerable debate in recent months, as its passage makes North Carolina the 31st state in the nation to approve an outright ban on same-sex marriage and the last southern state to approve such a measure. Opponents of the amendment say the ban goes far beyond same-sex marriage and negatively impacts domestic-violence protections and health benefits for unmarried families.
