In a state where gay marriage is already illegal, the N.C. House’s passage of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman occurred as insult to injury.
The amendment, which passed through the House by a 75-42 margin, served to define not only the state’s definition of marriage but also the culture of intolerance pervading legislators in Raleigh.
With all indicators pointing toward Senate approval for ingraining systemized discrimination into the state constitution, the duty of putting North Carolina on the right side of history will fall on its citizenry.
A recent poll conducted by Raleigh-based, left-leaning think tank Public Policy Polling shows that 55 percent of N.C. voters oppose the constitutional amendment. An even larger majority of 61 percent still believes that gay marriage should be illegal in the state, making it clear that the constitutional amendment is overkill in the eyes of most.
Opponents of the bill have cited the possibility that disallowing private companies from providing benefits to domestic partners may scare businesses away in a time of already sluggish job growth. In an effort to curtail this concern, the amendment was altered to include a provision exempting same-sex recognition by private parties.
According to UNC law professor Maxine Eichner, the “vague and untested language” may prove detrimental to other policy areas, including domestic violence and child custody laws.
The vote comes on the heels of an equally bigoted statement from House Majority Leader Paul Stam, who recently likened a ban on same-sex marriage to state prohibitions on incest and polygamy.
Stam didn’t quite say that homosexuality was the same as incest and polygamy, but he came close enough to get his point across.
Fortunately, the legislature is not empowered to act carte blanche, as the amendment will require popular approval in a vote set to occur in May. One can only hope the citizens of the state will be able to stand for equal rights for all North Carolinians — even if Raleigh doesn’t.
