While there is an official campaign to defeat Amendment One out there, we have to recognize that there are many, many people working at the grassroots level, residents of North Carolina putting in countless hours to educate voters on their own time and dime because they feel passionately that this discriminatory amendment is wrong for the state that they call home. They find a niche to effectively counter the anti-gay, anti-logical arguments out there.

In this case, I wanted to spotlight a local effort -- responding to op-eds and letters to the editor (LTEs) in our local and regional papers that have been, as you might expect, populated with anti-gay, fear-driven, often religion-based arguments in favor of Amendment One. LTEs are powerful tools, and Durham resident Steve Bocckino helped build a roster of residents eager and willing -- sometimes for the first time -- to write what have become extremely effective pro-equality, anti-Amendment One arguments.  A self described "60-year-old white guy, straight, and married for 21 years," Steve wanted to make a difference. Here's my Q&A with him.

The video of NC Libertarian Party Chair J.J. Summerell, who speaks out against Amendment One, is laudable for underscoring some reasons North Carolinians should vote against Amendment One, but it is unbearably grating to me on a personal level because of the other message it sends -- that it is all about the "unintended consequences" it poses -- its effect on domestic violence laws, how it hurts children in custody matters, etc. There is zero commentary about the primary reason for this ballot initiative on May 8 - it is specifically designed to demonize and hurt taxpaying, voting LGBT North Carolinians.

UPDATE: The resolution to support a radical revision to the NC Constitution passed on a secret vote orchestrated by Paul Coble.

Wow. I know those of us in Durham and Orange (Chapel Hill/Carrboro) counties don't have to worry about garbage like this coming up for a debate, but Wake County, the seat of state government, is not a known as part of the progressive nexus of the Research Triangle area. I am saddened to see this, but people in Wake who oppose Amendment One, which would ban not only same-sex marriage, but eliminate domestic partnerships already in place in some cities and counties, and preclude any consideration of civil unions, need to make their voices heard today at 2PM. From Neighbors for Equality, the alarm has been sounded...

Surprise, surprise. It's so predictable with these fundamentalist, ignorant gay haters.

As you know, the Blend broke the news that NC State Senator James Forrester has been falsely touting himself as a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Correspondent Scott Rose's communication with Executive Director Michael Barry (R), showed that Forrester was not a fellow and the ACPM contacted Forrester to tell him to remove the false information from sites where the lawmaker touts the designation.

Matt Comer at QNotes has found that, well, it's probably easier to state which of Forrester's credentials are true, since others are now up in the air.