N.C.'s rural areas offer strongest support for gay marriage ban

It's the rural regions - where homemade pro-amendment signs share roadside space with mass-produced ones - that are expected to carry the amendment to passage, according to recent polls. North Carolina is the only Southern state without a marriage amendment. ...

Charlotte Observer • May 7, 2012

Proposed N.C. marriage amendment could reach far

With a 6-3 vote by county commissioners two years ago, Mecklenburg became one of seven N.C. jurisdictions to offer benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of its employees. A May 8 statewide vote could erase the policy. Voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage, but the repercussions seem likely to affect straight and gay couples. Both sides of the debate ...

Charlotte Observer • Apr 1, 2012

Tillis comments prompt GOP's Vinroot to stand up against N.C. marriage amendment

Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, once the Republican nominee for governor, said Wednesday that he opposes the proposed marriage amendment to the state's constitution. Also Wednesday, House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Cornelius Republican, reaffirmed his support for the amendment and his belief that voters will pass it on May 8. The amendment would define marriage in the state constitution as be...

Charlotte Observer • Mar 30, 2012

N.C.'s gay marriage amendment, post-Perdue

Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen broke things down for us Monday afternoon. Right now, he says, 64 percent of Democrats in the state support legal recognition for gays in the form of gay marriage or civil unions. "The more of those folks who come out, the greater the chance the amendment fails," Jensen said. But: If the contested primary causes a 10-point increase in Democratic turnout, that wo...

Charlotte Observer • Jan 31, 2012

Marriage ban opponents hail Perdue's move Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/27/2962673/marriage-ban-opponents-hail-perdues.html#storylink=cpy

Opponents of the proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions say they got a boost Thursday with Gov. Bev Perdue's decision not to seek a second term. With Perdue out, there's likely to be a primary for governor that draws more Democrats to the polls May 8....

Charlotte Observer • Jan 27, 2012

Gay rights in N.C. face scrutiny in spotlight of Democratic Convention Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/03/2894553/gay-rights-in-nc-face-scrutiny.html#storylink=cpy

September's convention comes on the heels of a statewide ballot question in May, where voters will decide whether a ban on same-sex marriage should be written into North Carolina's constitution. Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/03/2894553/gay-rights-in-nc-face-scrutiny.html#storylink=cpy...

Charlotte Observer • Jan 3, 2012

Bank of America to reimburse gay employees for extra tax costs

Bank of America will soon reimburse gay employees who insure same-sex partners for the extra federal taxes they pay on health coverage. The program was announced as part of the company's open enrollment for health, medical and dental insurance this month, and will go into effect next year, said company spokeswoman Ferris Morrison....

Charlotte Observer • Oct 12, 2011

Same-sex marriage ballot skips words

What voters will see on the ballot about a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions is not what some lawmakers thought. Amendment 1 on the May primary ballot asks voters to decide for or against a constitutional amendment "to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state." The bill's second sen...

Charlotte Observer • Sep 22, 2011

North Carolina: Business mum on gay marriage

If it does become a debate, Baldwin said, the chamber would take direction from its membership on its position. The N.C. Chamber also hasn't seen any "quantitative studies" on whether the presence or absence of same-sex marriage bans affects business, Baldwin said. "We haven't seen any economic data making the case for business."...

Charlotte Observer • Sep 2, 2011

Fight gears up on same-sex marriage in North Carolina

The Raleigh-based gay-rights group hopes to have 50,000 to deliver to legislators in September, when lawmakers return for a session to consider constitutional amendments, including a ban on gay marriage. Full-fledged campaigns over the proposed constitutional ban are washing over the state. They include petitions, messages from pulpits, rallies, billboards and phone banks. Unlike traditional ele...

Charlotte Observer • Aug 15, 2011