On May 8, North Carolinians will decide the fate of thousands of couples, families, and children in their state, with an up or down vote on Amendment One.

This proposed constitutional amendment is about much more than banning same-sex marriage, which is awful enough. As the New York Times says, “In their zeal, lawmakers got careless with the wording of the measure . . . it would constitutionally prohibit recognition . . . of other legal arrangements like civil unions and domestic partnerships. That could harm all unmarried couples, imperiling some children’s health insurance benefits, along with child custody arrangements and safeguards against domestic violence.”

Proponents of the measure are relying on the same old prayer-wrapped bigotry to make their arguments. Mark Harris of the Baptist Church of Charlotte says, “Marriage as the union of one man and one woman is the foundation of society, and has existed in North Carolina law since statehood, and is supported by virtually every faith community and society since the dawn of mankind. Our state’s marriage laws are currently under attack, and passing the marriage protection amendment is the way to preserve marriage as God intended it.”

The North Carolina Legislature got the amendment on the ballot by a single vote last fall, one vote in the legislature that could ultimately lead to enormous and unpredictable damage. And LGBT couples and families are not the only citizens who would be negatively affected by passage. Watch this thirty-second video, for a taste of how the removal of protections would affect unmarried domestic violence victims. Now watch this video, to see how innocent families and children would be damaged.

North Carolinians have to decide if they want to codify constitutional discrimination and bigotry, or if they value equality and justice. Equality North Carolina, Protect All NC Families, the NC Council of Churches, and other groups are working around the clock to defeat this hateful measure. It’s gratifying to see the growing number of faith-based organizations that are taking a stand against this sort of discrimination, and we’re confident that these ranks will continue to grow.

Also, for the first time ever, the NAACP is sponsoring a campaign to defeat an anti-LGBT initiative. Dr. William Barber, the president of the state chapter said, “Our message is consistent: A vote on the same sex marriage amendment has nothing to do with your personal and religious opinion on same sex marriage but everything to do with whether or not you believe discrimination should be codified and legalized constitutionally. We should never seek to codify or vote discrimination into the very heart and frameworks of our Constitution.”

Every1Against1 is running a series of ads against the amendment, which show images recalling segregation. One is a picture of separate water fountains, one for “Straight” and the other for “Gay,” with this tagline: “On May 8th, make history. Don’t repeat it.”

In spite of all the efforts—and reasonable arguments—against Amendment One, the voting is still trending toward passage.

But pollster Tom Jensen sees momentum against it gaining. “I think opponents of the amendment should be very encouraged and if they do every little thing they can in the final days to make sure voters are informed the potential for a seismic upset is there.”

To help opponents “do every little thing they can in the final days,” Courage Campaign is sponsoring a voter-calling program and you can participate in it, wherever you live. Early voting started on April 27, and it’s crucial that Amendment One go down. If everyone who cared about marriage equality and LGBT/civil rights made just five calls to help turn out the vote and defeat Amendment One, just think of the enormous difference it could make in the outcome, and for the future of equality, not only in North Carolina, but as a precedent for other jurisdictions where justice hangs in the balance. Will you be part of the march toward equal rights for all?

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