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Now they’re arresting gay and lesbian North Carolinians participating in civil disobedience actions and seeking marriage licenses

May 11, 2012

Marriage equality

By Scottie Thomaston

Headline changed to make it absolutely clear what is happening.

Less than eight hours after the passage of anti-gay Amendment 1 in North Carolina, local jurisdictions were trying to eliminate domestic partner benefits. This and other consequences that were discussed repeatedly during the campaign will continue to occur over the years. Despite promises by the proponents that the amendment will keep the issue out of the courts, the amendment’s language seems to create a situation where it is inevitable the issue will make its way to a decision in North Carolina state courts sooner rather than later.

Counter-actions have begun, as well. On May 9, a civil disobedience campaign started, in which gay and lesbian citizens of North Carolina asked state offices for marriage licenses:

Starting the morning of May 9, we will run the next stage of the WE DO Campaign in eight communities across North Carolina, from small towns with populations of less than 500 to cities of more than one million. Across the state, over 40 LGBT couples will request marriage licenses, knowing they will be turned down and yet taking this action in order to resist unjust laws and call for full federal equality. They will be joined by hundreds of family members, friends, clergy, and elected officials who will stand with them in support. In select towns, trained volunteers will conduct peaceful sit-ins after the denials of marriage licenses occur, as a form of civil disobedience. At every turn, we will express love and empathy towards those who oppose LGBT rights and those whose job it is to enforce unjust laws.

This is similar to other direct action campaigns in the past, and in those other states arrests followed, as has just happened in North Carolina:

(AP) WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A lesbian who sought a North Carolina marriage license with her partner and was rejected under a state law banning same-sex marriage was arrested with another person Thursday after they refused to leave a government office where several gay and lesbian couples were turned away.
[...]
Mary Jamis, 52, of Mocksville, and a heterosexual friend who joined the protest, Mary Lea Bradford of Winston-Salem, were arrested after they blocked the entrance to the marriage license office and refused to leave more than 30 minutes after closing time.

A county administrator tried to talk the women into leaving and avoiding arrest, but the two insisted they would stay unless Jamis was issued a marriage license for her and her partner, Starr Johnson, 48.

A half dozen female officers then crowded around Jamis and Bradford, who were seated. The officers asked them to stand, handcuffed them and led them out a side door and into a van to be booked at the county sheriff’s department across the street.

I’m not totally sure what’s so harmful about a loving couple expressing interest in receiving a marriage license from the state. Certainly it doesn’t seem like grounds to face intimidation by a crowd of cops and county administrators. This campaign will hopefully raise a lot of awareness about just what marriage equality would entail. And it will put public faces on the often fiction-based discussions of gays and lesbians that continue to happen across the South. The image of a peaceful citizen being dragged off in handcuffs for trying to get married is as powerful as it is depressing.

Pam Spaulding has the dates of the next actions:

The WE DO campaign has these next stops in North Carolina, where more arrests are expected:

May 11th in Mitchell County (Bakersville) – 9:00 a.m.
May 11th in Madison County (Marshall) – 12:00 p.m.
May 11th in Asheville – 3:00 p.m.
May 14th in Asheboro – 9:30 a.m.
May 15th in Charlotte – 3:00 p.m.

Her piece also has a list of things out-of-state allies can do if they want to help.

Twitt

30 Comments Leave a Comment

  • 1. Alan_Eckert  |  May 11, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    Was she arrested for seeking a marriage license, or was she arrested for "trespassing"? How long was she in the office before she was arrested? Was she silent, or was she saying anything for that amount of time? Was she causing disruptions, or was she remaining in one place?

    I'd read into the info on this situation a little more before making a claim like the headline to this article.

  • 2. Dave in Maine  |  May 11, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    Yes, the headline makes it seem that they were asking for a license and were promptly arrested for wanting to do this illegal action of getting married. I don't like the hysterical tone that these headlines take sometimes.

  • 3. Michael Scott  |  May 11, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    I'm afraid I have to agree. Alarmist headlines such as this will not serve us well.

  • 4. Mark Mead-Brewer  |  May 11, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    This is a VERY misleading post. They were NOT arrested for asking for seeking a marriage license, but rather for trespass and causing a disruption in a government office.
    Please consider a rewrite…….

  • 5. Scottie Thomaston  |  May 11, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    The post explains right away that it was civil disobedience action.

    But that was indeed what got her arrested. The action was to demand marriage licenses..

  • 6. Derek Williams  |  May 11, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    Civil disobedience is the way forward, but in the tens of thousands, not the dozens. People with no interest in getting married can join in and eventually bog courts down with ridiculous cases until the state starts to realise they can't try murder, burglary and arson cases.

  • 7. Scottie Thomaston  |  May 11, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    I bolded the intro where I explained it's a civil disobedience action before.

  • 8. MightyAcorn  |  May 11, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    Incorrect. The AP article clearly states why they were arrested–not because they requested a marriage license, but because they were blocking the entrance to the building and refused to leave when ordered by law enforcement:

    "….were arrested after they blocked the entrance to the marriage license office and refused to leave more than 30 minutes after closing time."

    The current headline is more than misleading. "Civil disobedience in NC results in arrests" is accurate. You won't build credibility by misrepresenting what happened in favor of sensationalism.

  • 9. Johan  |  May 11, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    Scottie, that is not the point. You are misrepresenting the facts. The title is incorrect. They were not arrested for seeking marriage licenses. They "were arrested after they blocked the entrance to the marriage license office and refused to leave more than 30 minutes after closing time." This all happened after they were politely refused marriage licenses.

  • 10. Christian  |  May 11, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    Why are we stooping to misleading headlines? If the headline had said "Gay and Lesbians arrested for protesting denial of marriage licenses" I doubt there would be any complaints. I've been reading this site almost everyday since January 2010. We complain when NOM and the anti-equality side do it, we shouldn't practice it. This headline is distasteful. It should be changed. And hopefully similarly misleading headlines aren't seen in the future.

  • 11. Reformed  |  May 11, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    Scottie,

    You can't do this. This is the hallmark strategy of the opposition. Similar to what Brian Brown would do. And you will get called on it by the other side, even as they know that they do the same thing. No one gets arrested for requesting a marriage license. They might get arrested for refusing to leave after closing hours. So what this headline is suggesting is false. So why say it?

    As to this type of action in general. Are there no ways to effectively protest without violating the law. Blocking the intrance to the clerk's office prevents others from getting a Marriage license. That isn't putting forward the right message. Maybe try visiting the clerk's office today? But always leave when the office closes. Something more along those lines.

  • 12. Reformed  |  May 11, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    Visit everyday, that is to say. Or something else, but stay out of jail.

  • 13. jpmassar  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Wow. I think people need to chill just a bit.

    I agree that at some level the headline is misleading but when I read the headline it was obvious to me that it was hyberbole; it was obviously not literally true and was not meant to be literally true and that the headline was trying to make a point about the situation in NC, not be a factual account in ten words of what happened. The article made clear what the situation was.

    Now if P8TT wants to have a policy against a bit of hyperbole in headlines that's fine with me; I can deal with it either way and I can respect a site either way.

  • 14. Scottie Thomaston  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    I changed the title due to the criticism from readers.

    However it's important to note the CBS News headline linked in my post:

    "Lesbian seeking marriage license arrested in NC"
    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57432285/lesb…

  • 15. Bob  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    good work Scottie,,,, changing your title,,,,, thanks,,,,,,,,,

    but thanks even more to those people taking action,,, civil disobedience,,,, getting arrested,,,,,,,, thank's so much to them,,,,,,,, keep the heat on,,,,,,, not laying down,,,, stand your ground,,,,,,

  • 16. Bob  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    thanks for posting that article,,,,, at least they're getting some publicity,,,, and no one is going to spend time making them change the headline,,,,, it's got attention

  • 17. Bob  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    The Obama Administration defends the human rights of LGBT people as part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign policy. In our embassies, our diplomats are raising concerns about specific cases and laws, and working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. In Washington, we have created a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate this work. And in the coming months, we will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve their efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.

    This morning, back in Washington, President Obama put into place the first U.S. Government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad. Building on efforts already underway at the State Department and across the government, the President has directed all U.S. Government agencies engaged overseas to combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct, to enhance efforts to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that our foreign assistance promotes the protection of LGBT rights, to enlist international organizations in the fight against discrimination, and to respond swiftly to abuses against LGBT persons.

  • 18. Bob  |  May 11, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    will they protect asylum seekers within the U.S.????????

  • 19. Reformed  |  May 11, 2012 at 9:15 pm

    Pops, I gave this comment a thumbs down. Meant that to be a thumbs up.

  • 20. Reformed  |  May 11, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    Oops. Dang iPad!

  • 21. Gregory in SLC  |  May 11, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    Hats off to Pam Spaulding and those courageous person in this important protest. Recalls Kitty Lambert in NY who could not get a license for her long time partner (5 children, 12 grandchildren). but was able to obtain one from a complete stranger in the office. P.S. she was one of the first couples to marry in N.Y : D ![youtube E4oYQvi8VZM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4oYQvi8VZM youtube]

  • 22. Gregory in SLC  |  May 11, 2012 at 9:59 pm

    Hopefully where these protest lead!!!!! still brings tears….[youtube WaApASOIWcQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaApASOIWcQ youtube]

  • 23. Fact Checker  |  May 12, 2012 at 5:07 am

    I'm really disappointed to see this site stoop to the low of factual misrepresentation. Our legitimacy as a movement is founded on integrity and honesty, regardless of what the other side does. If I stayed 30 minutes past closing time at my pharmacy because I couldn't get my heart medication, I'd expect to be arrested too! No matter how much I thought I deserved it. Shame on the writer of this article, shame, shame, shame.

  • 24. J Ascher  |  May 12, 2012 at 5:40 am

    It doesn't matter how long she was there. The very idea of being charged with "trespassing" on non-military, government property is anathema to Americans.

  • 25. Lymis  |  May 12, 2012 at 9:36 am

    I support protests and civil disobedience when it's appropriate, but I think we need to keep the issues separate when we discuss them.

    The idea of "keeping it out of the courts" was not a reference to "people won't be arrested for breaking the law" but rather the idea that somehow the Amendment language would clear up all the legal issues so further lawsuits won't be needed to clarify them – which is a complete absurdity of an entirely separate kind.

    Both are important and newsworthy issues. They are not the same issues. Or even the same courts.

  • 26. Richard Lyon  |  May 12, 2012 at 11:28 am

    Civil disobedience is a necessary tool in fighting for the rights of the oppressed. There seem to be a lot of people here who think that we should never ever do anything to frighten the horses or spit on the sidewalk.

  • 27. Nac C  |  May 12, 2012 at 11:45 am

    <img src="http://www.wsale.net/qy/oue.jpg">What? Is this for real? Can't believe this is happening in america.<img src="http://www.wsale.net/qyl/ppa.jpg"&gt;

  • 28. Bob  |  May 12, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    what if bi-national couples stepped forward and asked for asylum,,,,,,,, putting an end to the fear of deportation??????

  • 29. Prop 8 Trial Tracker &raq&hellip  |  May 13, 2012 at 11:27 am

    [...] Now they’re arresting gay and lesbian North Carolinians participating in civil disobedience ac… [...]

  • 30. I have a dream  |  May 13, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    "Now if P8TT wants to have a policy against a bit of hyperbole in headlines that's fine with me;.." I think we can look to MLK for the answer to your dilemma. Would hyperbole in his letter from the Birmingham jail helped the cause of equality, then or at any other time in the civil rights movement? I think not.

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