What's at stake in North Carolina?

Voters will go to the polls in North Carolina on May 8 to vote for or against Amendment One to the state constitution.

Updated with latest NOM video.

[ ] FOR               [ ] AGAINST

Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.

While we are ahead in the polls, those measurements have been very volatile and NOM has not yet engaged in a full court press. National Organization for Marriage will soon be telling the electorate that gays are evil people who pose a threat to children. That is an argument that persuaded voters in California and Maine to vote against equality. The fact that the vote on this measure coincides with the Republican primary is just coincidence of course.  Obviously, if the GOP presidential nomination is still in play     which appears to be a good probability     there would be a considerable turnout by evangelicals in support of Mr. Frothy Mix. Indeed, all three Republican candidates will campaigning in support of this referendum. Romney hasn't the balls to oppose it.


At this point in time, a ballot measure that would ban even civil unions is clearly an expression of sheer bigotry that will be enshrined in the state's constitution.

Our success is predicated on making this issue important enough to our straight supporters to ensure that they go to the polls in opposition.  That is no easy or simple task. Hopefully, we've learned some lessons from California and Maine. When NOM argues that "homosexual marriage will be taught in schools," I hope that we answer with "probably not but suppose it would. So what?" The worst thing that we can do is to argue the falsity of the talking point.

Presumably, this issue is important to the state's large employers. I doubt that this is what Bank of America had in mind when they relocated their corporate headquarters. Other large employers headquartered in the state include (in no particular order):

• Advanced Internet Technologies
• Ameritrust
• Wake Forrest University Medical Center
• Belk
• Dex Media
• Wachovia Bank
• Sealy
• Lowe's
• Goodrich
• Nortel Networks
• . ., . and many, many others

Hopefully, our activists are meeting with senior staff, particularly Sr. VP's of Human Resources. These companies are dependent on luring managers from other areas. A large swath of people are going to be reluctant to relocate to a state perceived to be run by a bunch of backward fundamentalist yahoos whistling Dixie.

Hopefully we can find enough residents of North Carolina who also don't want to be collectively tarred as backward fundamentalist yahoos whistling Dixie. Hopefully, we can get them to go to the polls and vote "AGAINST" this backward fundamentalist bit of bigotry.

Here's NOM's latest video claiming that voting for this bigotry will "protect marriage as ordained by God." Last time I checked, God doesn't get to vote.

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• NOM Lies and Distorts - Again (slowlyboiledfrog.com)