LGBT rights

While liberals and progressives might think that the NC legislature couldn't possibly bother with any more anti-gay hate legislation after the passage of Amendment One, I'm sure the Carolina Taliban has a few more ideas up their sleeve.

And it's the right thing to do:

"I know all our families do not look alike. We all want the same thing for our families. We want happiness, we want health, prosperity, a bright future for our children and grandchildren. After conversations I’ve had with family members, with people I go to church with and with North Carolinians from all walks of life, I’ve come to my own personal conclusion that we should not tell people who they can love, or who they can marry. It’s time to move forward with this issue.”

For all the flak Kay has taken (much of it justified) for some of her policy approaches and priorities, this took guts on her part, and should be remembered. The GOP will be gunning for her vigorously in the coming months, and it's going to take every tool in the box to keep from losing this seat.

The Taliban would be proud:

In a statement given to a sheriff’s department investigator last week, Lowry said he was kept in a church building from Aug. 1 to Nov. 19, 2011. He said he was knocked unconscious during his first day of confinement.

And his "family" are still members. Here's a clue: if you're willing to allow your child or sibling to be imprisoned and mistreated by religious zealots, you're not a family, you're simply a collection of assholes who happen to share the same DNA.

Hatred so blinding he would help somebody sue himself:

“I want there to be no doubt that the question was asked and that government either responded appropriately by eliminating benefits or they didn’t, and therefore can be sued. My questions and their responses provide a trail that someone who wishes to sue can use,” James said in a phone interview with the Observer last week.

So much for the idea that conservatives believe in "tort reform". It doesn't get any more frivolous than suing the most populated county in the state because 12 people are receiving domestic partner benefits. But that's what idiots like Bill James do, they set up evil strawmen so they can strike them down.

Navigating the dangerous shoals of Amendment One:

The Campaign for Southern Equality is hosting free legal workshops around the state in the coming months to assist people in taking steps to protect their children, health care and assets. Equality North Carolina will help with the workshops. The next one takes place in Winston-Salem and others are planned in Durham and Asheville.

Here's the workshop schedule, but I don't see the Durham event listed. Can anyone verify and supply the particulars (when, where, etc.)?

I know that we should be focusing on getting Amendment 1 overturned in the courts, or working to elect politicians that will help the repeal of this amendment next year, but, damnit, I feel like shaming people for a little while.

I had an idea and wanted to see if anyone else thought it was worthwhile.

I thought we could try to run a "Shame Campaign"

Start a website - something like ShameOnNC.org and fill it with all the reasons that Amendment One was an awful thing and should never have been passed. We can also solicit donations for court challenges, update people on ways it is harming people etc.

Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, appeared Saturday on "Up with Chris Hayes" to talk about efforts to defeat Amendment One and the next phase of the We Do campaign. Video here.

And I did it on my lunch hour, which isn't even really an hour, since there's some walking and driving and such. And I'm writing this diary after the voting thing, and I still have like 29 minutes left. What's my point? Not only was it quick and painless, but pushing that "Against" button felt good. Really good. Like, last-day-of-school, Friday-drive-home, tax-refund-check good, all rolled into one. You should definitely try this thing out.

The more people learn about Amendment One, the more they dislike it:

The Elon University Poll results released today show that 61% of North Carolinians say they oppose an amendment that would prevent any same sex marriages, domestic partnerships or civil unions.

But this doesn't mean all the hard work you folks have been doing is over. It just means that it's working, that people are being educated. Here's another intelligent Republican who opposes this generational mistake:

From the NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCAD):

North Carolina has long recognized that domestic violence victims deserve protection whether or not they are married to their abusers and have made sure that domestic violence laws cover unmarried victims—but those protections may conflict with the proposed constitutional amendment’s prohibitions.

While I believe it is entirely possible the Domestic Violence Statute could be compromised by Amendment One, even if the Statute holds up and is not found in conflict, LGBT victims may still suffer for it. Here's why: