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North Carolina anti-gay Amendment 1 news round-up

May 4, 2012

Marriage equality

By Scottie ThomastonGoal Thermometer

- The head of Vote FOR Marriage NC, the campaign working to pass the amendment, worries about attempts to “subsidize the homosexual lifestyle.”

- Watch Up with Chris Hayes on MSNBC this weekend (8 AM-10 AM EST on Saturday and Sunday), he is planning to do a segment on Amendment 1.

- Yesterday, singer/songwriter Jason Mraz tweeted:

- George Takei tweeted this morning:

- Pam Spaulding highlights on-the-ground activism in North Carolina on Amendment 1 and The Washington Blade notes that our team at Courage Campaign is traveling to NC this week to get out the vote. We are asking people to join us in the state to work to defeat Amendment 1.

- Also via Pam Spaulding, a list of those in opposition to the amendment:

BUSINESS LEADERS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: Over 100 CEO’s and other business leaders from all parts of the state have spoken out as individuals against the amendment, including Jim Rogers of Duke Energy Corp, Bob Page, CEO, Replacements, Ltd.; Catherine Bessant, Bank of America Global Technology and Operations Executive; Martin Eakes, CEO of Self Help and the Center for Responsible Lending; Barbara Goodmon, president of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation; Andy and Barbara Rotchschild, principals of Scientific Properties; Scott Custer, CEO of Piedmont Community Bank; Joseh DeSimone, founder of Liquidia Technologies; Ken Eudy, CEO, Capstrat ; Shelly Green, CEO, Durham’s Convention and Visitors Bureau; Gary Kueber, CEO, Scientific Properties; Kel Landis, Partner, Plexus Capital and former CEO, RBC Centura Bank; Easter Maynard, Head of Charitable Giving, Golden Corral; Aaron Nelson, President and CEO, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce; and many more.

PROFESSIONAL LEADERS & ASSOCIATIONS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: Law experts at every school of law in North Carolina; North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys; National Association of Social Workers NC; The North Carolina Psychological Association; the North Carolina Pediatric Society; the North Carolina Psychological Association, the North Carolina Psychiatric Association; National Association of Social Workers; North Carolina Chapter and the Carolinas Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists; Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED); and more.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS & GROUPS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: North Carolina Council of Churches; Episcopal Diocese of NC; the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists; The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina; plus over 500 pastors, reverends, priests, chaplins and rabbis leading Baptist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Methodist, AME, Lutheran, Metropolitan, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Quaker, Buddist and inter-faith communities across North Carolina. You can see a more complete list of religious groups opposing the amendment at www.protectncfamilies.org/faith.

CIVIC & COMMUNITY GROUPS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: NC NAACP; ACLU-NC; Advocates for Justice; Self-Help; Action NC; ARC of NC; Covenant with North Carolina’s Children; Democracy North Carolina; Disability Rights North Carolina; El Pueblo; Institute for Southern Studies; Latin American Coalition; Lillian’s List of NC; NARAL Pro-Choice NC; North Carolina National Organization for Women; A. Philip Randolph Institute; North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault; North Carolina Justice Center; North Carolina Policy Watch; Planned Parenthood Health Systems; Planned Parenthood of Central NC; Southern Coalition for Social Justice; TrustWomenNC; and many more.

POLITICAL LEADERS & GROUPS AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: President Barack Obama; Sen. Kay Hagan (Dem.); Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (GOP); Gov. Bev Purdue; John Hood, President of the conservative John Locke Foundation; Bob Orr, former justice of the N.C. Supreme Court; Charlotte’s former Mayor Harvey Gantt (Dem.); Charlotte’s former Mayor Richard Vinroot (Repub.); Raleigh City Council; Durham City Council ; City of Greenville, NC; Asheville City Council ; Greensboro City Council; Chapel Hill Town Council; Orange County Board of Commissioners; NC Democratic Party; Libertarian Party of NC; Log Cabin Republicans; College Democrats of NC; Young Democrats of NC; Progressive Democrats of NC; Not Right NC (Republicans Against Amendment One); North Carolina Alliance of Black Elected Officials; and many more.

- News & Observer reports on Amendment 1 fund raising.

- Yesterday we reported on another donation to the anti-gay campaign of $225K from the race-baiting National Organization for Marriage. NOM and other anti-gay groups have lots of resources and are not afraid to keep putting money into anti-gay efforts.

What you can do to help defeat Amendment One:Goal Thermometer

1. Volunteer to Call for Equality – a GOTV phone banking effort against Amendment 1.

2. Contribute to the campaign on ActBlue so they have the resources they need to get our message out.

3. Sign up to help get out the vote in NC yourself! Courage Campaign is arranging out-of-state caravans and travel assistance is available.

4. Sign up for a Courageous Conversation about Amendment One with someone you know in NC.

Twitt

10 Comments Leave a Comment

  • 1. Straight Ally #3008  |  May 4, 2012 at 11:46 am

    It's heartening that so many people and organizations are standing up against Amendment 1 – that's the real value of this fight, even though fear and ignorance will triumph at the ballot box this time around. To illustrate the latter point, read this pro-Amendment 1 article by science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, arguing there is no right to same-sex marriage:
    http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/hc.e.211703.lass…

    I know I'm going to be upset come Tuesday, but I also know I'll be comforted that in my own small way I helped move that ball down the field in the inexorable push toward the goal line.

  • 2. Walter  |  May 4, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    Probably more relevant about Mr. Card on this issue than the fact that he is a science fiction writer is the fact he is a Mormon.

  • 3. Walter  |  May 4, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    I could not keep myself from responding to Mr. Card's idiotic article so I wrote the following. We'll see if they permit it in the responses.

    This article is especially pernicious because it contains practically no honest, accurate statement. It begins by calling opponents of this amendment liars because they assert the law will harm children. In fact, Amendment One will harm children by denying gay parents and their children access to the marriage laws of North Carolina. The Amendment changes no marriage laws. Thus it has no effect on straight parents and their children as they already have access to the marriage laws. Then Mr. Card makes the ridiculous and untrue assertion that “If there were even a shred of science behind the absurd claims about gender and sexuality coming from the left, there might be a case for allowing this to happen. But there is no science behind it.” In fact, there exists over 50 years of scientific research to support this law by the leading medical and mental health organizations in this country. But don’t take my word for it. Look at the facts. Here is a link to science on the issue. This link takes you the American Psychiatric Association (APA) website where you may read about their recent legal brief in the Gil case on marriage equality to the the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The APA was joined in this legal brief by the AMA, the American Psychological Association and other organizations. At the end of the web page, you may download and read the actual legal brief. This brief outlines in laymen language the current science and expert opinion on homosexuality.
    http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsArticle…

    Now we’ll see if the Rhinotimes can do something more than just spread lies and ignorance. I make this comment as someone who was a Republican for 40 years until I quit in disgust at what the Republican Party has become today.

  • 4. Michael Scott  |  May 4, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    Yeah, like I really trust and value the opinion of a guy whose "religion" (and I use that word loosely) believes that the physical throne of God is near planet Kolob. Orson, as Jack Nicholson said, "Sell crazy somewhere else. We're all stocked up here."

  • 5. Walter  |  May 4, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    In my haste, I wrote that scientific research supports the law. In fact, it leads one not to support such a law as the legal brief indicates.

  • 6. Straight Ally #3008  |  May 4, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    I should have included a high blood pressure warning with the link to Mr. Card's article. Glad to say I don't own any of his books.

  • 7. Kate  |  May 5, 2012 at 6:30 am

    The infamous Randy E. King on the NOMblog is getting more and more extreme. At least he isn't hiding how he feels, about gay people, eh?

    "Everybody now knows that you are an enemy to decent society; a rabid dog that must be put down."

  • 8. Kate  |  May 5, 2012 at 6:34 am

    This stuff is obviously just fine with the NOM "moderators" while those of us who attempt to post sane comments or links to those internal documents and Maggie's revealing e-mails to Louis (Hi Louis!) in the futile attempt to educate maybe even just ONE of those NOMbies are blocked.

  • 9. Kate  |  May 5, 2012 at 7:54 am

    Could someone who can still get on NOMblog point out to Randy that his insanity is showing?

  • 10. Scott Wooledge  |  May 5, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    I just love Mraz's "Boo!"

    LOL, it's in such stark contrast to the usual apocalyptic tone of this discussion.

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