Their purpose is to “end the harm caused to gay and lesbian individuals, especially youth, by placing a religious and moral stamp of disapproval on their lives.”   Their immediate purpoose is to influence members of the NC legislature who are considering an amendment to the NC constitution which would prohibit same-sex marriage, and further, prohibit existing employer benefits to same-sex partners.

 

It is important that our Alamance County senator, Rick Gunn, and our assembly represenatives, Dan Ingle and Alice Bordsen hear from many of us if we oppose this constitutional amendment.   Email Dan.Ingle@ncleg.org (919-733-5905); or Alice.Bordsen@ncleg.org (919-733-5820)

or Rick.Gunn@ncleg.org  or call (919) 301-1446.

 

EqualityNC, our NC state-wide advocacy group,  is coordinating efforts of all LGBT supporters to keep this constitutional amendment from being approved by the legislature.   What follows is a recent email from EqualityNC:

 

“As Gallup’s Frank Newport reported, “Most legislation dealing with legalizing same-sex marriage occurs at the state level. At this point, five states — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, plus the District of Columbia — allow legal same-sex marriages. Most of the remaining states specifically outlaw it. At the moment, those advocating changes in constitutions and laws to allow same-sex marriage in additional states can take heart in the apparent shift in national sentiment in their direction.”

“Despite these encouraging trends, proponents of marriage equality in North Carolina still face significant challenges.

“Just as a majority of Americans show their support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) marriage equality, North Carolina Representatives and Senators have introduced their versions of a proposed anti-LGBT constitutional amendment. N.C. House Bill 777 recently joined a Senate version (Senate Bill 106) in an attempt to actively write discrimination into the state’s founding document by prohibiting legal relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples.

“This legislative move not only reflects divisive and distracting social legislation limiting marriage to opposite sex couples, as state statute already does, but also has the potential to place North Carolina on the wrong side of history, as the last southern state to limit marriage equality at the very moment when most Americans support it.

“To counter these harms, Equality NC has already begun mobilizing against this proposed constitutional amendment. Hundreds have attended stops on Equality NC’s statewide EQUALITY IN ACTION Tour, educating citizens on the dangers of this and other anti-LGBT legislation. Statewide supporters are collecting more than 60,000 “Keep Discrimination Out of NC!” postcards to be delivered to state senators and representatives demanding they fight against this type of blatant discrimination in their district. Even more fair-minded citizens have contacted legislators directly with their concerns, with more engagement assured in the coming weeks and months.”

For more information go to http://equalitync.org .