North Carolina Marriages

Local Gay Couple Looks To New York For Hope For North Carolina

Greensboro, NC -- As the result of a vote Friday night, New York has became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. But what kind of impact will that have in North Carolina?

One local couple we spoke with said they hope the effects will trickle down to the Tar Heel state, sooner rather than later. James Tunstall says he doesn't know if North Carolina will make any changes in his lifetime, because he said the state has been 'backwards' for quite some time. "I think our government needs to step it up, I think our state government needs to step it up and bring these things to the table and make a change you know because the south has had the reputation of being backwards and racist and homophobic for too long and you know we need to change that."

Tunstall said he and his partner even debated going to New York to get married. He wants to go for the principle of being married, while his partner said it seems as if there's no point in going to New York to get married if it wouldn't be recognized here in North Carolina. Tunstall said, "I hope its not, but it might be the only opportunity I have to get married, depending on how quickly North Carolina steps up to the plate. and I sure do not want to be 80 years old wheeling down to the justice of the peace in a wheelchair.

AP: Marriage efforts post-N.Y. could include N.C. « QNotes ...

An Associated Press report filed late today outlines the state of marriage equality after New York’s extension of equality to same-sex couples this weekend.

Two states, Minnesota and North Carolina, are primed to become the focus areas for campaigns to limit LGBT couples’ rights through state constitutional amendments banning marriage.

Alex Miller, Equality North Carolina’s newly-appointed interim executive director, spoke briefly with the AP:

Another marriage battleground next year could be North Carolina. It is the only Southeastern state that hasn’t yet approved an amendment restricting marriage to one man and one woman, but the GOP-controlled Legislature may try to put such a provision on the 2012 ballot.

Republicans would need help from a few conservative Democrats to advance the measure, and would also have to keep moderate Republicans in line.

Foes of gay marriage cite surveys indicating that more than 70 percent of North Carolinians support the amendment. However, an Elon University poll in February showed more than half of the state’s residents favor some form of legal recognition of same-sex couples.

“Numbers have borne out that attitudes on this issue are changing, particularly among independents,” said Alex Miller of the gay-rights group Equality North Carolina.

The Minnesota legislature passed an anti-LGBT constitutional amendment in late May. There, LGBT advocacy groups both local and national have already begun holding brainstorming and strategy-planning sessions for the campaign that will soon engulf that state.

North Carolina’s proposed amendments, including a harshly-worded version in the state Senate, were not heard by legislators during their normal session, which ended earlier this month. The amendment might be brought up in a September special session on a full slate of constitutional amendment proposals.

more: Keep up with news on the state legislature and the proposed anti-LGBT constitutional amendment at our Legislative Watch: goqnotes.com/in/ncga/

Note: Views and opinions written by readers in these comment threads do not necessarily represent the thoughts, opinions or official positions of qnotes, Pride Publishing & Typesetting or any of its staff. Upon submitting comment, user acknowledges they have read and understood our site commenting and discussion terms . Comment threads are disabled 180 days after an article's publication.

North Carolina marriages, early to 1800

Marriages of Wilkes County, North Carolina, 1778-1868

Marriages of Surry County, North Carolina, 1779-1868

Marriages of Granville County, North Carolina, 1753-1868

Marriages of Rowan County, North Carolina, 1753-1868