Homosexuals Celebrate "Freedom to Marry Week"

Special Report - February 12, 2009
This week, thousands of homosexual activists and their allies are demanding “equal” marriage rights in staged protests across the United States as part of the 12th annual “Freedom to Marry Week.” The annual event, which began February 8 and runs through Valentine’s Day, includes “house parties,” synchronized blogging by activists on web sites, protest marches and special sermons in hundreds of communities nationwide, including New York, Florida, Arkansas and California. It is sponsored by Freedom to Marry, a homosexual advocacy group “working to win marriage equality nationwide.” At a staged protest in New York City, hundreds of same-sex couples, holding signs that read “Just Not Married,” lined up in front of the marriage bureau to request marriage licenses and were turned away.

“Freedom to Marry Week is the perfect opportunity to advance equality by having a personal conversation about why excluding gay couples from marriage results in second class citizenship,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, in a press release. “With states across the country introducing marriage equality bills in their legislatures and with decisions pending in state supreme courts in California and Iowa, now is the time to take action and have conversations to continue the public momentum toward ending the exclusion of gay couples from marriage.”

Homosexual activists are also protesting the fact that 30 states now have language in their state constitutions that defines marriage as only the union of a man and a woman. In fact, every state in the South has enacted a Marriage Protection Amendment with the exception of North Carolina. Although similar bills were introduced in the last five sessions of the General Assembly, the leadership of both chambers did not allow lawmakers the opportunity to vote on these bills.

“Without a provision in our state constitution defining marriage as one man and one woman, North Carolina is a prime target for same-sex ‘marriage’ activists,” said Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of NC4Marriage, a coalition of pastors, churches, organizations and individuals across North Carolina dedicated to adding the definition of marriage to the North Carolina Constitution. “All it would take is one bad decision by an activist court in our state to redefine the institution of marriage in North Carolina. The leaders in our General Assembly must let the people vote on the Marriage Amendment this year and give North Carolinians the chance to protect marriage for future generations.”

NC4Marriage is promoting two upcoming events for individuals and churches to participate in the statewide campaign to give North Carolina voters the opportunity to add the definition of marriage to the State Constitution. “Marriage Sunday,” scheduled for Sunday, February 22, is a day when pastors across the state are encouraged to preach about the sanctity of traditional marriage. In addition, a Marriage Rally is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd in Raleigh. More information on both events can be found at www.NC4Marriage.org.

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.