An Important Day

For North Carolinians (and I'd say many people in the U.S.), today marks an important time in our history. Today, people are voting on Amendment One--what some are calling the "marriage amendment"--that would strip gay couples' ability to marry, and interferes with legal protections for unmarried couples and their children as well as unmarried women and older adults. Find out how.

North Carolina already has a law against gay marriage, and this poorly written constitutional amendment is merely a bold, brazen statement of bigotry and discrimination against another minority group. And, I suppose, what can be seen as the most disappointing aspect of this prejudice is the negative publicity North Carolina receives as being yet another backward Bible Belt state (well, at least by folks who might lean left). On the other hand, the national attention this topic grabs--and the numbers of people voting against this amendment at the polls--can send an equally strong message that people in our state care about the well being of ALL citizens who live here.

In my mind, it's one thing to make a statement against gay marriage affecting adults (a very poorly constructed statement, mind you), and quite another to take away the limited rights of our most vulnerable population: children. This amendment affects their healthcare coverage, the protection of visitation rights, and custody by a committed parent they love.

I also find it infuriating that this amendment could also harm unmarried women by taking away domestic violence protections. As someone who falls into this category, and whose reproductive rights are also being slashed away at by state and national (majority male) political figures, I am incensed by the direction our "moral" compass points at this moment. What the hell happened to women's rights? Civil rights? Have we forgotten our history? Have we become so removed from ourselves and our communities that we are numb to the repercussions of our state and national "leadership"?

OK.

Today is a big day. So I voted. Actually, I drove to Raleigh last night, slept for five hours, voted, and drove back to Greensboro in time for work at 8 a.m. And I got to vote with my mom, which was even more special since she's someone who has always taught me to stand up for myself in situations like this one. And no, I haven't been brought up on bra-burning feminism, just a good old fashioned sense of justice, fairness, and love. And that is why this is important.

We voted AGAINST!