Tag: North Carolina

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North Carolina: Same-sex couples line up to file marriage license applications

Last night, North Carolina Buncombe County Register of Wills Drew Reisinger’s announced he would accept BUT not sign marriage applications from same-sex couples.

And so, the line began to form early today.  From the AP:

An official in western North Carolina has accepted marriage license requests from 10 same-sex couples, despite a 2012 amendment to the state constitution forbidding such marriages.

Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said he will hold the licenses and ask state Attorney General Roy Cooper for legal advice. Reisinger said he thinks the state’s ban is unconstitutional.

Cooper said Monday that he supports gay marriage. But he has said he’ll defend the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage. A spokeswoman for Cooper’s office said the marriage licenses cannot be issued.

The state Attorney General has expressed his support for marriage equality but has stated he will defend the state constitutional ban until overturned by the courts or the people.

Watch the video below, which will make you beam as Carol McCrory and Brenda Clark, a couple for 25 years, apply for their marriage license and Drew Reisinger becomes a hero.  

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ACLU files marriage equality lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit today in Pennsylvania on behalf of 23 residents of the state who are seeking marriage equality. The lawsuit is the latest to be filed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decisions in favor of same-sex marriage in June.

The group of plaintiffs, which includes 10 couples, two minor children of those couples, and one widow who recently lost her partner of 29 years, argue Pennsylvania’s own Defense of Marriage Act violates both the fundamental right to marry and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The ACLU also announced today that it will amend an existing adoption lawsuit in North Carolina, and will file a marriage lawsuit in Virginia as co-counsel with the ACLU of Virginia and Lambda Legal in the coming weeks.

More at Advocate

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A Tale of Two Dads

Mark Maxwell and Tim Young of North Carolina are foster parents to four boys ranging in age from 13 to 24.

They are unable to jointly adopt the boys because despite being married in Washington, DC this year, the state of North Carolina prohibits adoption by same-sex couples.

Mark and Tim share their story of why marriage matters so much to their family.

The video is a joint project of Campaign for Southern Equality and Freedom to Marry. 

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Sen. Kay Hagen supports marriage equality

Sen. Kay Hagen of North Carolina has come out in favor of marriage equality:

“I know there are strong feelings on both sides, and I have a great deal of respect for their opinions, but after much thought and prayer on my part this is where I am today.

“I know all our families do not look alike. We all want the same thing for our families. We want happiness, we want health, prosperity, a bright future for our children and grandchildren. After conversations I’ve had with family members, with people I go to church with and with North Carolinians from all walks of life, I’ve come to my own personal conclusion that we should not tell people who they can love, or who they can marry. It’s time to move forward with this issue.”

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NC: Domestic partnership benefits in limbo

In North Carolina, cities and counties that offer domestic partner benefits to employees are in limbo after voters passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

In some other states, such amendments have led to the end of domestic partner benefits for public workers. And that’s exactly what some families in North Carolina are afraid of.

Melissa, Moira, and Libby Hodges, left to right, pose in front of a Christmas tree.

Ever since voters approved the constitutional amendment on May 8, Libby Hodges has worried about what could happen to her family’s health coverage. But she’s trying to put on a good face for her 4-year-old daughter, Moira.

“Sometimes it just happens that way,” Libby Hodges tells her daughter. “Like when you play a soccer game. … If I lose or win it’s okay.”

Libby works for the city of Durham, one of nine local governments across the state offering domestic partner benefits. Moira is on her insurance plan. But since Libby isn’t the little girl’s biological mom, that benefit could end.

Libby’s partner, Melissa Hodges, who gave birth to Moira, could add their daughter to her insurance plan. That would cost an extra $500 a month, a big hit to their budget. Melissa says they may have to move to a state where domestic partner benefits are assured.

“I’m going to stay on the lookout for jobs in all these various different places in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maryland,” says Melissa Hodges. “I was looking back at the list today of which states do we have all the same benefits and rights or at least as close as we can get.”

More at NPR

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Follower of Pastor “Put homosexuals behind a fence” Worley defends position

OMG! You have to watch this interview with Anderson Cooper and Stacey Pritchard of North Carolina Pastor Worley’s congregation.

She somewhat incoherently defends Pastor Worley’s desire to put homosexuals behind an electrified fence.

She starts out saying “of course he would never want that to happen” then diverts to “being taken out of context” to “this is 2012 – that doesn’t happen.” Even with Anderson Cooper saying “this IS happening in Iraq and Iran.”

Fascinating. Seriously. This is what “hate” looks like in America.

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Members stand behind pastor’s anti-gay sermon

Parishioners of Pastor Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church support his view that gays deserve to be killed.

Quoting the Bible, Worley’s flock tell reporters they fully support him and that gays should be killed. Worley twice this month called for the mass murder of the world’s homosexuals by airlifting and dropping all “lesbians” and all “queers and homosexuals” into an electrified fenced-in area so they can die out.

“So he had every right to say what he said, about putting them in a pen, feeding them. The Bible says they’re worthy of death. He only preaches the word,” says Geneva Sims of the Pastor’s plan to kill gay people. Sims is a parishioner of Pastor Worley and fully supports him.

Another supporter, Stacey Pritchard says, “Sometimes you gotta be scared straight.”

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Anderson Cooper: Guests denounce anti-gay rant by NC Pastor Charles Worley


Rev. Welton Gaddy, President of Interfaith Alliance joined Anderson Cooper to discuss Pastor Charles L. Worley, whose sermon, which we posted yesterday, suggested gays and lesbians be rounded up, put in electrified pens, and let them die.

Said Gaddy of Worley:

“In one fell swoop this angry minister managed to discredit from his pulpit both the Constitution of the United States and the compassion that we find in the bible, and additionally he did a very dangerous thing by planting seeds of hatred in sick minds that in the right circumstances can act on them and do the kind of violence that has no place in our world.”

In additional news, Catawba Valley Citizens Against Hate are nto happy about the Pastor’s message, and have organized a protest on Sunday at 10 am:

We are organizing a PEACEFUL protest against Pastor Worley’s bigoted and hate filled rhetoric. Regardless if you are gay or straight, Christian or not… this rhetoric is dangerous and harmful. Taking a peaceful stand for our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is paramount.

More details about the protest will be posted to this page soon. Please, only RSVP if you plan to come. If you are out of town, and support our cause but will not be coming to the event, please do not RSVP. In lieu of participating in this event, you can email Pastor Worley at pastor@prbcnc.com, to let him know what you think of his rhetoric. Remember, making threats against Pastor Worley will not help our cause and may result in criminal charges against you. Keep your message clean, clear and peaceful.