latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gay-marriage-20120508,0,776172.story
Gay marriage: North Carolina voters approve constitutional ban
By David Zucchino
6:42 PM PDT, May 8, 2012
North Carolina voters on Tuesday appeared to easily pass Amendment One, an
amendment to the state constitution that not only bans gay marriage but also
outlaws civil unions and domestic partnerships.
With 23 of 100 counties
reporting results, the Associated Press said 61% of voters had supported the
measure and 39% had voted against it.
The amendment, called the Defense
of Marriage Act by its Republican sponsors, was fiercely debated in the weeks leading up to the election
-- and is now expected to be fiercely fought in the courts.
Much of its
impact remains to be seen, but it would appear to threaten the domestic
partnership health benefits of government workers, some family law experts say.
It also could strip unmarried couples – both gay and straight – of their rights
to make financial or emergency medical decisions for an incapacitated
partner.
President Obama and former President Clinton had spoken out
against the measure; the Rev. Billy Graham had publicly supported
it.
With passage of the amendment, North Carolina becomes the 29th state
to pass an amendment banning gay marriage, according to the National Conference
of State Legislatures. Ten other states have statutes defining marriage as
between a man and a woman.
Amendment One states: "Marriage between one
man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or
recognized in this state."
Only Idaho, Michigan and South Carolina have
defined marriage as strictly.
Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times