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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. There are three logical forms of recognition:

• A large minority of voters would like to see same-sex marriages (SSMs) legalized.
  
  
• A large 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 large 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 every politician's nightmare. No matter what move they make, they will generate a lot of animosity on the part of a major voting segment.

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. Many religious and social conservatives remained 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. This position is often described as simple animus towards the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) community. However many persons who are opposed to recognition of same-sex relationships sincerly believe that:

• Everyone is born a heterosexual.
• Some people choose later in life to become homosexual or bisexual.
• Many of them become addicted to the lifestyle.
• Through a major effort involving prayer and counseling, they can return to being heterosexual.
• By government recognition of -- and protections for -- the relationships of LGBs', they are less likely to make the effort to be converted back to heterosexuality.
• Sexually active homosexuals will spend eternity in Hell.
• By opposing same-sex marriage and civil unions, religious and social conservatives are expressing love and caring towards the LGB community.

Most LGBs, religious and social liberals, therapists and counselors, human sexuality researchers, etc. strongly deny the validity of the first five beliefs.

Most religious and social conservatives want loving, committed couples to be treated as "legal strangers" -- as simple roomates. They wrote an amendment to the Constitution to ban SSMs, domestic partnerships, and civil unions. However, such an amendment would be have been turned down by the voters if the latter became totally aware of its scope. Thus it it was promoted as a simple prohibition of SSM in the hopes that voters would not notice the wide 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 with about a 61% vote in favor. 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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