N.C. House Approves May (Public) Vote on (Anti-) Gay Marriage (Provision)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

N.C. House approves May vote on gay marriage amendment

The Associated Press
September 12, 2011
By Gary D. Robertson

RALEIGH, N.C.

The North Carolina House has agreed to let voters decide next May whether to add a provision to the state constitution to make clear marriage is between one man and one woman.

The House voted 75-42 on Monday in favor of a measure that would make marriage the only domestic legal union recognized in this state. An amendment needed to receive 72 votes. The proposal now goes to the Senate for consideration.

State law in North Carolina already defines marriage as between one man and one woman, but supporters argue the prohibition needs to be stronger to protect it against legal challenges from same-sex married couples licensed in a handful of states.

Opponents critical of the bill in the three-hour debate called the proposal discriminatory.


Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/nc-house-approves-may-vote-gay-marriage-amendment

[LonePirate]

1. Do the Rs really have a 30 seat majority in that chamber? I can't imagine any Ds voted for this.

The 2010 elections truly were devastating at the state and local levels.

[johnnypneumatic]

2. wrong, there are only 67 repukes in the NC house

and they needed 72 votes to pass it, which means more dems voted for it than needed to

homophobia is bipartisan

in Maryland and Rhode Island, the legislatures are democratic, but they would not pass marriage equality there this year

when it comes to equal rights for lgbt people, we can always count on some democrats to betray us

[awoke_in_2003]

3. "homophobia is bipartisan"...

unfortunately, you speak the truth.

[LonePirate]

4. Thanks for that info. It's sickening that several Ds voted for this garbage.

Shame on them! They might as well change parties and be done with the charade.

[cstanleytech]

6. As much as you may disagree with their vote though

(as I do as well) they are still entitled to make up with own minds on how to vote regardless of what party they are in or claim to be a member of.
Hopefully the citizens of their state will have the common sense to vote against it though but I doubt it.

[No Elephants]

9. Similarly, people who go to the polls are entitled to make up their own minds on for whom to vote,

regardless of what party they are in?

[customerserviceguy]

5. May? The homophobes screwed up

They're supposed to make sure this is on the November 2012 ballot to bring out their fellow homophobes who will vote Repuke.

[Unvanguard]

7. The polling for them on this amendment is not terrific.

But the May date will probably give them a victory anyway, because the main event then will be the Republican primary.

It's a way to undemocratically provide for their own success masquerading as an avoidance of partisan politics.

[yardwork]

12. The vote was moved to the May primary when polling showed that the bigots might lose in Nov.

In May, the Republicans will be turning out in droves to choose a Republican presidential candidate and gubernatorial candidate. Obama and the Democratic governor of NC will be running unopposed, so there will be little reason for many Democrats to vote in the May primary. With the voters skewed heavily Republican, this will probably pass.

I worry about the impact on young gay people in the state. This is extremely disheartening to them. Equal marriage is already illegal in North Carolina. Watching a majority vote to amend the state constitution to make equal marriage double-triple illegal (and outlaw all civil partnerships too) is so mean-spirited.

[gratuitous]

8. What a paradise North Carolina must be

All the problems happening in the rest of the country, and North Carolina just got its outer banks smacked by a hurricane, but this is the most pressing legislation for their state house to consider!

[yardwork]

13. Yep.

[No Elephants]

10. Shameful.

[CRK7376]

11. Unfortunately my local house rep

is a Repug and vocal homophob. The good news is that in the local paper more letters to the editor are against this vote. Again, unfortunately my state has turned red recently and is full of small minded people. I truly expect this to become a constitutional amendment issue in NC. I will definitely vote against it, but am prepared to watch our efforts go down in flames. Small minded bigots....

[yardwork]

14. And watch the heavily-funded hate groups turn on the TV ads.

I'm preparing myself for the onslaught. I'll be called an abomination, a child molester, a pervert....