North Carolina Becomes the 31st State to Pass a Marriage Amendment

When the people have the chance to vote on marriage, they have voted in favor of preserving traditional marriage every time.  An overwhelming majority, 61% to 39%  voted in favor of amending the North Carolina Constitution to make marriage between a man and a woman as  the “only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.”  The measure will go into effect on January 1, 2013.  Before that North Carolina already had a law that banned same-sex marriages.  This amendment will protect the definition of marriage from state court challenges like what Iowa, Massachusetts and Connecticut saw when each state’s supreme court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage.  California had their constitutional amendment struck down by a federal judge.

Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage in a statement said that support for preserving the definition of marriage is growing:

It should not go unnoticed that our position that marriage is between a man and a woman is gaining support, not losing support.  Earlier this week the Gallup poll showed that support for same-sex marriage is down. Actual vote percentages in favor of traditional marriage are rising. In 2008 in California, the Prop 8 constitutional amendment on traditional marriage passed with 52% of the vote. Then in 2009 in Maine, 53% of voters stood for traditional marriage and rejected same-sex marriage legislation. In 2010, 56% of Iowa voters rejected three Supreme Court judges who had imposed gay marriage in that state. And now more than 60% of North Carolina voters have passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. There is a clear trend line, and it is moving in our direction.

North Carolina is the first state this year to have a vote on marriage. Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington will also have votes on the definition of marriage.