North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment which protects the definition of marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman.
The amendment says: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.”
It means judges or politicians can’t force gay marriage in North Carolina against the will of the people.
Voters
Vote For Marriage NC, which supported the amendment, made it clear that its passage ensures the state will define what marriage is in the future.
In 2011 the state House and Senate voted to put the amendment before state voters.
The amendment reportedly passed nearly 60 per cent to 40 per cent, including support from significant numbers of Democrat voters.
Support
This means that, since 1998, in every state where citizens have had the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage, they have backed the traditional definition.
Before the vote, members of President Obama’s cabinet expressed support for gay marriage and former President Bill Clinton recorded phone messages encouraging voters to oppose the amendment.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and the District of Columbia all allow same-sex marriages.