Voting in North Carolina on Tuesday revealed overwhelming support for the ban on same sex marriage. Over 61 percent of the voters were in support of the new amendment, which states, “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” That wording rules out any possibilities of civil unions between same sex couples.
A Gallup Poll released on Tuesday revealed that 50 percent of the American population was actually in support of same sex marriage. Despite the results of this poll, North Carolinans made it clear that they believe marriage should remain between one man and one woman. The president of the National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, said, “Our position that marriage is between a man and a woman is gaining support, not losing support… actual vote percentages in favor of traditional marriage are rising.” Brown went on to point out voter trends across the nation are in support of traditional marriage. “In 2008 in California, the Prop 8 constitutional amendment on traditional marriage passed with 52 percent of the vote. Then in 2009 in Maine, 53 percent of voters stood for traditional marriage and rejected same-sex marriage legislation. In 2010, 56 percent of Iowa voters rejected three Supreme Court judges who had imposed gay marriage in that state.”
Gay and lesbian support groups don’t believe that these trends prove more support for traditional marriage. They believe it is a sign that voters are being deceived and manipulated. The voters were “duped into believing their religious beliefs justified bringing harm to the state’s gay and lesbian individuals, especially youth and their families,” said same sex couple advocacy group, Faith in America. The group claims there was a huge misunderstanding about sexual orientation which guaranteed that the votes would turn out the way they did. Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, said that this is “what happens when a preemptive ballot-measure is stampeded through before people have had enough time to take in real conversations about who gay families are and why marriage matters to them.”
As for the President’s stance, “He believes the North Carolina measure singles out and discriminates against committed gay and lesbian couples, which is why he did not support it,” said Cameron French, the North Carolina Press Secretary for Obama’s campaign. Surprisingly, many of the counties that strongly supported Obama back in 2008 have also shown much support for banning same sex marriage in North Carolina. A staggering 64 percent of Halifax County voted for Obama in 2008, yet 68 percent of the county supported the vote to ban any legal recognition of same sex couples.
North Carolina has become yet another state, among 28 others, that strictly limits marriage to unions between one man and one woman. Only six states allow same sex marriages.
