By Tami Fitzgerald
NC4Marriage
In less than one week, we have seen two states-Iowa and Vermont-legalize same-sex “marriage,” bringing the total number of states in the U.S. that allow same-sex couples to marry to four. This past Tuesday, Vermont because the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex “marriage” through legislative action instead of a court ruling. It comes just one week after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex “marriage” in that state by striking down the state’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
The legalization of homosexual “marriage” in Iowa and Vermont adds fuel to the argument that the North Carolina General Assembly needs to pass the “Defense of Marriage” bills, which will allow the voters of North Carolina the right to vote on a Marriage Protection Amendment to our Constitution. Without this protection in our State Constitution, North Carolina’s marriage laws could be subject to the same type of judicial activism or legislative redefinition that has occurred in Iowa and Vermont.
The action by the Vermont legislature is disheartening but not surprising, when you remember that it was the first state in the nation to implement “civil unions” only a few years ago. The new law merely changes the name of the legal recognition given to same-sex couples, not the rights and benefits. The principle that emerges from Vermont is that “civil unions” are never a suitable compromise on this issue, and they open the door to the eventual redefinition of marriage.
The Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to overturn that state’s marriage laws is more disconcerting. Iowa’s Defense of Marriage Act (or DOMA) is similar to North Carolina’s in that it defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman-a definition that has existed throughout the state’s history. If they can do that in the Heartland of America, it can happen right here in North Carolina!
The Iowa Supreme Court also went out of its way to dismiss long-held evidence from the social sciences that children fare best in an intact, monogamous family, headed by a mother and father. It even went so far as to make actual findings of fact that parenting by same-sex parents is equal to parenting by a biological mother and father, dismissing evidence that shows otherwise!
This ruling is a wake-up call for North Carolina. Protecting marriage must now be front and center for our lawmakers. Without a state constitutional amendment, we are merely one successful lawsuit away from the redefinition of our marriage laws. Somewhere between 73 and 76 percent of voters in the state favor the passage of a Marriage Protection Amendment. Our legislators must respond to the will of the people on this issue or be replaced!
Please contact your representatives in the General Assembly, and express to them your concern about the legalization of same-sex “marriage” in Vermont and Iowa. Ask them to support the “Defense of Marriage” bills that have been introduced in the House and Senate. Click here to contact your House and Senate member. Click here to contact House & Senate Leadership.
Also, we know that many families are hurting as a result of the recent economic crisis. NC4Marriage has suffered some of the same stress, but now is not the time to sit idle. Your financial support for NC4Marriage is what will allow this battle to protect marriage to continue. We must get the Marriage Protection Amendment on the ballot in North Carolina this fall, so we will not suffer the same fate as Vermont and Iowa. Click here to make a secure online contribution, and help us continue our important work on this issue.
We appreciate your prayers and your contributions. Have a blessed Easter weekend as we stand in awe of the great sacrifice our Lord made for us on the Cross. Praise God for his mercy and love for us!