TO THE EDITOR:
Thank you to Peter McClelland for his Carolina Review article “Conservatives, Vote Against the NC Marriage Amendment.” On May 8, North Carolinians will vote on an amendment to limit legal relationship recognition to marriages between one man and one woman.
But it isn’t just an LGBTQ issue. If passed, the amendment will deny relationship recognition to couples, both same- and opposite-sex, who are in civil unions and domestic partnerships. A lack of legal recognition complicates child custody, visitation rights and end-of-life arrangements.
The amendment also prohibits state employers (like UNC) from providing equal benefits to employees in civil unions or domestic partnerships. If passed, it could threaten UNC’s recruiting and retention rates for faculty and students. Perhaps most appalling, it denies unmarried survivors of domestic violence, assault and stalking legal protections from abusive partners.
Our state can’t afford to enshrine such discrimination into its constitution. Please register to vote in North Carolina and vote against N.C. Amendment One on May 8.
Coco Wilder ’15
Undeclared
