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Same sex marriage (SSM), civil unions, & domestic partnerships

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In North Carolina

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Current status of SSM and Civil Unions in North Carolina:

As of 2012-APR, neither civil unions nor same-sex marriages are available to residents of North Carolina. However, the situation in this state is interesting because when voters are asked how the state should handle loving, committed, same-sex couples:

• A minority of voters would like to see same-sex marriages (SSMs) legalized.
  
  
• A minority of voters favors the introduction of civil unions or domestic partnerships for loving committed same-sex couples that would give them and their children the same state benefits and protections enjoyed by opposite-sex married couples, but without the right to call their relationship a marriage.
  
  
• A minority of voters favors the existing system where the relationships of same-sex couples are not recognized by the state. They are regarded as "legal strangers" -- simple roommates or housemates with few protections for themselves and their children.

This is a politician's nightmare. No matter what move they make, they will generate a lot of animosity on the part of the voters.

A majority of voters favor recognition of the relationships of loving, committed same-sex couples in some fashion -- either by legalizing same-sex marriage or by creating a system of civil unions. Only a minority favors the present system. Meanwhile, religious and social conservatives are enthusiastic about trying to preserve the status quo by changing the constitution to prevent the legislature or the state courts from recognizing same-sex relationships in any way. Their response was to write an amendment to the Constitution to ban SSMs, domestic partnerships, and civil unions. But since such an amendment would be turned down by the voters, it was promoted as a simple prohibition of SSM in the hopes that voters would not notice the scope of the amendment.

The promoters of the amendment were successful. The people of North Carolina did not realize that this was a stealth amendment. It passed on 2012-MAY-08. When the people of North Carolina eventually realize that they were deceived, there may well be considerable backlash.

The result is a major controversy.

Topics covered in this section:

• 2004 to 2011: Earlier developments:
  
  
  • Current status. Attempts to amend the state constitution during 2004, 2006, & 2011/2012
    
    
  • 2011: Proposed constitutional amendment. Reactions by various groups & individuals.
    
    
  • Predictions on whether the Amendment 1 will pass in 2012-MAY
    
    
• 2012: Passage of the NC Amendment One: to prohibit same-sex marriages (SSM), all types of civil unions, etc.
  
  
  • Part 1: Background. Stealth nature of the amendment.
    
    
  • Part 2: Stealth nature (Cont'd). Support for the amendment.
    
    
  • Part 3: Opposition to Amendment 1. Additional polling data. Advocacy
    
    
  • Part 4: Public comments on Amendment One. Robo phone call by President Clinton
    
    
  • Part 5: Pre-vote Poll. Fraud? Results of the vote. What will be the effects of this amendment?
    
    
  • Part 6: Videos and statements for & against amendment. Reactions to the vote.
    
    

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First posted: 2011-AUG-31
Latest update: 2012-MAY-12
Author: B.A. Robinson

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