Tag: LGBT rights

Why one impressive young man opposes the amendment

May 8, 2012 at 2:35 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Seth Keel is an impressive young man in Raleigh who’s become quite a successful advocate for progressive change at a tender age. You can vist his Facebook page here and read his tweets here.  

Yesterday, I received a copy of an opinion piece he recently authored on Amendment One.  I hope you will read it:

Why I oppose Amendment One
by Seth Byron Keel

This year is the first year of my life that I have not lived in any denial of my sexual orientation, nor have I attempted to hide it as a part of who I am. I was sitting in the General Assembly when this Amendment was debated and eventually passed to be put on the ballot before us on May 8. I remember feeling disrespected and degraded. My representatives stood on the floor of the House and argued that I am less than them because of my sexual orientation; they argued that I do not deserve the same rights that our government has granted them. Believe me, this was not a choice that I made – I would remember waking up one day Read More…

Just a Word: What one word means to a couple. [VIDEO]

May 7, 2012 at 11:52 amCategory:Yield: Love conquers everything; let us too, yield to love

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This is the final piece in a series of videos by Mimi Schiffman on North Carolina’s Amendment One:

“You know, everybody says it’s just a word, but there’s more to it. There’s a feeling of belonging,” said Jeff Enochs of Charlotte, N.C. “I wanted my state to recognize that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Watch Jeff and his partner Brian Helms travel to Washington, D.C., the closest place they can legally marry.

The wedding is set to take place just weeks in advance of North Carolina’s primary, in which voters will decide whether to amend the constitution to read: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.”

Production: Mimi Schiffman
Music: Phil Cook & His Feat
Additional Camera: Ben Berry

Mimi Schiffman is a photographer, videographer and multimedia producer pursuing a master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This work is a part of a documentary project she is producing on marriage equality for her thesis. The work is being released in the lead-up to the 2012 North Carolina primaries on May 8, 2012, where voters are asked to decide on a constitutional amendment which could render many established same-gender couples and their families legal strangers in the eyes of the law.

Mimi’s work is being posted on Huffington Post.

Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever. Middle school students fight Amendment One. [VIDEO]

May 3, 2012 at 9:39 amCategory:Yield: Love conquers everything; let us too, yield to love

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This is the third piece in a series of videos by Mimi Schiffman on North Carolina’s Amendment One:

In a small school a little north and a little west of downtown Durham, N.C., a group of eleven-, twelve- and thirteen-year-olds has been busy organizing a field-trip.

Watch as a middle school’s gay-straight alliance, GLOW, for Gay Lesbian or Whatever, embarks on an adventure in civic engagement with real consequences for many of the club’s members.

“They don’t really see kids as having an idea of how they want their future to be like,” said Sarah, a GLOW member, “but when we actually voice our opinion it really does make a difference.”

Production: Mimi Schiffman
Music: Phil Cook & His Feat
Additional Camera: Patrick Mustain and Vanessa Patchett

Special thanks to:
Lisa Joyner
Carolina Friends School
Phil Cook

Mimi Schiffman is a photographer, videographer and multimedia producer pursuing a master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This work is a part of a documentary project she is producing on marriage equality for her thesis. The work is being released in the lead-up to the 2012 North Carolina primaries where voters are asked to decide on a constitutional amendment which could render many established same-gender couples and their families legal strangers in the eyes of the law.

Mimi’s work is being posted on Huffington Post.

Fayetteville pastor: The effeminate shall not inherit the earth

May 2, 2012 at 4:50 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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This very troubled man says he apologizes for talking about hitting children who display behavior that he deems inappropriate for their gender and that his words were taken out of context.

To which we reply: Watch the whole stomach-turning “sermon” below and see if you agree. The hitting stuff comes rather late — around the 45 to 46 minute mark, but there’s plenty of other truly disturbing (and just plain laugh-out-loud dumb) statements as well.

YouTube Preview Image 

You can also read a “retraction” and hear an interview that Harris gave to WRAL on the church website.

Extremist gubernatorial candidate featured in pro-amendment press event

May 1, 2012 at 12:20 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger’s son was probably the headline grabber at this morning’s pro-Amendment One press event at the Legislative Building, but another speaker at the event probably even better symbolizes how incredibly extreme the main supporters of the amendment are.

Paul Wright is a former judge from Mount Olive who’s running a far right campaign against Pat McCrory in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Check out this guy’s website to see just how amazingly extreme he is (featured endorser: nationally known immigrant hater Tom Tancredo) and, as an aside, how long it’s been since he had a family photo snapped!

This is the best the the amendment supporters can do? This is the guy they trot out to explain why all of the lawyers and law professors raising questions about the “only domestic legal union” language are wrong??

Maybe the “yes” camp isn’t as strong as it appears.