marriage equality

The Supreme Court is taking up the Winsdor DOMA challenge and the Prop 8 Case. Depending on the ruling, and how broad or narrow it is, this could potentially end amendment 1, DOMA, and marriage discrimination all across the country.

After historic victories in the 2012 elections in which marriage equality won and discrimination lost in 4 states and the first openly gay candidate was elected to the US Senate, the US Supreme Court now poised to weigh in on the issue. The Marriage News Watch video below looks at the history of marriage-related rulings by SCOTUS.

They could decide as early as next week whether or not to take up cases challenging DOMA and challenging marriage discrimination. If they opt not to, then marriage equality could resume in California in short order. That, combined with the recent election results, could move a significant percentage of the country's population into areas with marriage equality.

Several states have marriage on the ballot, several of these races are close, and it may be our first victory with marriage at the ballot box (not that civil rights should be voted on). The President has come out on the side of equality in each of these states, and Romney is supporting a federal marriage discrimination amendment. It's hard to imagine a starker difference.

It looks like some big news relating to marriage equality could come out next month based on what cases SCOTUS decides to take and what decisions they let stand. Check out this weeks Marriage News Watch for the details. Meanwhile the RNC is busy adding bigotry into their platform as the DNC adds marriage equality to theirs in Charlotte next week.

As a delegate, I'm pretty excited about the national Democratic Party adding marriage equality to their platform in Charlotte at the convention. I have some more thoughts on that below, but I also wanted to share this article: "Davidson College Becomes First Campus To Suspend Chick-fil-A."

Those of you who were active Blue NC readers during the amendment fight will remember this weekly video segment. I haven't shared them as often recently, but the focus is back on North Carolina with the possibility of marriage equality being added to the national Democratic Party platform in Charlotte during the convention.

Watch the courageous acts of civil disobedience by everyone who stood up and demanded to be served at marriage license counters across the state, especially those who were arrested sitting in waiting for service that would never come.

I think that it is important to note that even though this amendment passed, those of us fighting for LGBT equality aren't going away. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I have 5000 words on the eastern North Carolina experience that you might want to see, if you'll kindly follow me below the fold.

"Gay marriage equality is not a trick question, and we shouldn’t be getting trick answers from the President of the United States. Gay Americans deserve better than a President who winks and nods and tries to convince them that he will protect their rights, but refuses to emerge from the closet and support one of the most basic rights – the right to equal access to marriage. And frankly, even opponents of gay marriage deserve the truth from the White House. Is the President for it or against it? Right now, the Administration is trying to have it both ways."

Gary Johnson - Libertarian Party Nominee for President

Gary Johnson is a two-term governor from New Mexico who is a vocal advocate of marriage equality, ending Marijuana Prohibition, responsible Immigration reform, and responsible, efficient government. He won the Presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party with 70% of the vote on the first ballot.

This is Raleigh

This is Greenville

This is Wilmington

This is Wilson

This is Rocky Mount

This is Durham

This is North Carolina