Thousands rally at legislature for ban on same-sex marriage

Thousands of people rallied outside the statehouse Tuesday for an amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which may have enough support to clear the legislature this session after years of failed attempts.

Legislative proponents were confident Tuesday, with House Majority Leader Paul Stam promising the crowd "it will get done this year." State Rep. Mitch Gillespie, a key appropriations chairman in the House, said he already has a vote count.

"I expect at least 78 votes (in the House)," Gillespie said.

Gillespie, R-McDowell, predicted a similar vote in the state Senate — enough to clear the required three-fifths majority and put the issue before voters in November 2012. Voters would be asked to amend the state constitution to say: "Marriage is the union of one man and one woman at one time. No other relationship shall be recognized as a valid marriage by the state."

Same-sex marriages are already banned in North Carolina, but amendment advocates have been calling for constitutional protection. Some of this movement is orchestrated from Winston-Salem through Return America, a quasi-religious and political organization headed by conservative minister Ron Baity.

Baity served as emcee for Tuesday's rally, which has become a biennial affair at the legislature. Baity said Tuesday that gay people "don't want to face the truth of the Scriptures."

"The Bible teaches one man and one woman," he said.

It was difficult to estimate the crowd's size, but it was easily more than 2,000 people. State Capitol Police estimated the crowd at 3,500, according to The Associated Press. Inside the legislature, those against the amendment held a much smaller affair, bringing about 20 legislators, ministers and activists together for a news conference to rebut the rally.

Several ministers and a rabbi said passing the amendment would make gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people second-class citizens.

"At a time when legislators should be chopping away at unemployment rates and searching for ways to build a budget that would befriend the poor and marginalized, legislators are choosing to advance this divisive social agenda," said the Rev. T. Anthony Spearman of Clinton Tabernacle AME Zion Church in Hickory.

State Rep. Marcus Brandon, D-Guilford, the only openly gay member of the legislature, recalled what it was like growing up gay and Christian. The judgment drives some gay teens to suicide, he said.

"Whether you think it's right or wrong, we all have our prejudices," Brandon said. "But we all have to learn to respect each other. Look at the words in red (in the Bible). Jesus never ever mentions (homosexuality). ... Jesus would not be having a rally outside right now."

But outside, the Bible was used to justify opposing opinions. Baity pointed to Genesis, and the story of God creating man and woman as a pair. Nathan Tabor, head of the Forsyth County Republican Party, pointed to the book of Matthew, where Jesus speaks of man and woman united as "one flesh."

"There is no separation of church and state," Tabor told the crowd, telling them that God will judge them if they don't vote as Christians should. "It's the liberal agenda to try to take God out of America."

Other area residents attended the rally, including Steve Durham and Bobby Smith from Baux Mountain Baptist Church in Germanton and Ron Carter from Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown.

Same-sex marriage goes against "what God ordained," Durham said.

"Should be a crime," Carter added.

Durham said he doesn't want his children exposed to the idea of same-sex marriage. Others said that if same-sex marriage is legalized, polygamy won't be far behind.

"If marriage is not protected, our whole civilization will change," said Michael Ziglar of Winston-Salem.

A few area legislators attended the rally, including freshman state Rep. Rayne Brown, R-Davidson, and state Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, and a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the amendment bill. State Rep. Larry Brown, R-Forsyth, spoke briefly, telling attendees to "make sure when you go to vote that you take a carload with you so that we can pass this amendment."

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