Marriage discrimination amendment « The Progressive Pulse

Debunking conservative myth-making about marriage

May 8, 2012 at 8:34 amCategory:Uncategorized

Occasional Progressive Pulse contributor Greg Flynn posted a fun and informative essay over on Blue NC early this morning about early North Carolina history, it’s relationship to the debate over the marriage discrimination amendment and the attempts by the amendment’s chief legislative sponsor, state House Majority Leader Paul Stam, to misrepresent the story. It may not change many votes today, but at least readers will know the truth.

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

by Ricky Leung

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.

Flexing our muscles

May 7, 2012 at 11:14 amCategory:Uncategorized

by Kevin Rogers

Think about a healthy society the same way you think about a healthy body – vigorous exercise builds strong bodies and stronger minds. While we must individually keep physically healthy, as a society it’s good to flex our civic muscles once in awhile, and I’m not talking about protesting.

Standing in a slow-moving line, in the muggy heat, is not something many people enjoy, even if the reward is an ice-cream cone or some free concert tickets, but thousands of Wake County voters waited patiently, and gregariously, in line for well over an hour to cast their primary ballots on Saturday morning. My wife and I were among the throngs in Raleigh, and I must admit that it was a lovely line in which to be waiting. Everyone was in a great mood and actually excited to be voting.

I’ll say that again: excited to be voting.

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

by Ricky Leung

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

by Rob Schofield

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.

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

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