North Carolina and Gay Marriage

Justine
Posting #4
Civil Rights

Title: In North Carolina, Beliefs Clash on Marriage Law

Author: Campbell Robertson

Publication: The New York Times

Date: 5-11-12

Length: 2 pages

On Tuesday, the eighth of May, North Carolina voted to ban gay marriage by a landslide. This was a bit of surprise, seeing that North Carolina is fairly moderate and the Democratic National convention is going to be there this year. The ban invited much criticism from gay rights supporters all over the country. Residents that supported the ban, though, defended their state loyally. It is a difficult issue in such a state as North Carolina that has such religious influences. People have been taught their whole life that gay marriage is wrong and even though many have switched their thinking, it is difficult to speak against their families and friends. On the other hand, gay men and women have come out more in recent years, creating quite a moral dilemma for those who have always thought of being gay as a horrible thing. One thought is that it will take more than a couple of years for people to completely accept this and change how they think. Although they may have voted to ban gay marriage, they have long been a mix of liberal and conservative thinking and this just goes to show that they can lean either way. Even though this ban goes completely against Obama's support of gay marriage, it is not likely that it will have much of an impact on North Carolina's vote in the fall. 

Conclusion:

North Carolina voted to ban gay marriage on Tuesday and the vote and state have both received lots of criticism. This issue is not supposed to impact the state's support of Obama and many democratic issues, but it has gotten the state a rather unfortunate reputation. Even though 30 other states have voted in similar bans, the moral dilemma it caused in North Carolina is somewhat unique. Religion, history and recent cultural developments all had a large part to play and for many it was too difficult of an issue to speak out against customs. Having a different opinion from friends and family is too difficult for some people.