Yesterday the North Carolina State Senate determined that an amendment to the State Constitution banning same-sex marriage will be on the ballot in May 2012. MSNBC reports, "North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast without such a prohibition in its constitution. State law already defines marriage as between a man and a woman," but a change to the constitution would create a stronger barrier against the legalization of gay marriage.Supporters of the amendment feel it would provide better protection against legally wed same-sex couples seeking to maintain their status if they came to North Carolina from one of the six states or Washington DC where gay marriage is allowed. The Republican senator Jim Forrester who has championed this legislation for years said, "This wasn't a slap in the face at them. It was just something I thought we needed to do to continue to have a strong family structure here in North Carolina."Opponents of the amendment find it unnecessary, worry that it will hurt the state's economy by excluding gay couples and their allies, and think it draws on an unfortunate history of racism, segregation and discrimination. A Democratic Representative, Susan Fisher, reminded her colleagues of a recent session where they issued an apology to African-American citizens for injustices. "What I think is about to happen here is another instance where in the not-too-distant future we will be apologizing again for unfair and harmful discriminatory practices."Regardless of how the representatives and legislatures feel about the issue, they all agree that it's now up to the citizen to decide for themselves, though the vote in May. Do you think North Carolina voters should approve or deny the measure?
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