LGBTQ and Black Leaders respond to same sex and interracial marriage bill

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Same sex marriage and interracial marriage are guaranteed by Supreme Court precedent. In light of Roe v. Wade, legislation to protect those marriage rights overwhelmingly passed the House, with all North Carolina’s republican representatives voting against it. Now, the bill’s on its way to the Senate.

The state of North Carolina’s first amendment defines a marriage between one man and one woman as the only legal state union. Some believe if a same sex marriage case comes back to the Supreme Court, like Roe v. Wade did, our state could be one of many to ban it.

“That will be a problem if these other precedents are eroding,” explained the LGBTQ Center of the Cape Fear Coast’s Caroline Morin.

A bill to codify same sex marriage and interracial marriage into federal law to counter this passed the House, but several Representatives, including Congressman Rouzer voted against it. Leaders, like State NAACP President Deborah Dicks Maxwell are reacting.

“He doesn’t understand that while he may not agree with same sex marriage or something like that, that is not to deny someone else their right,” Maxwell said.

According to 2021’s National Gallup polls, nearly 95 percent of Americans believe in interracial marriage and more than 70 percent believe in same sex marriage. One reason Morin is confused over why Congressman are voting against the bill.

“I think it’s astounding in a country with rampant poverty, hunger, racism, environmental degradation, that our representatives are concerned about who I kiss and who I file my joint tax return with,” she continued.

Some representatives said they voted against that bill for religious reasons. Local pastor of St. Jude Metropolitan Community Church, John McLaughlin disagrees. McLaughlin says oftentimes, people take verses on homosexuality our of context.

“But there’s a lot of things in there that we could cherry pick out that we don’t do today. Like killing children who talk back to their parents, that’s a bad one,” McLaughlin says.

The bill passed the House, and it will need 10 republicans to pass the Senate. Maxwell says that could be an uphill battle, and that it’s important to reach out to our senators and vote.

“Families who you are tormenting by saying you don’t think you will vote on this. These families have already been in existence. The children have already been in existence,” she said.

We reached out to Representative Rouzer, who did not respond to our request for an interview. Though Senator Thom Tillis has expressed he’d be willing to vote in favor of this bill, his spokesperson said he was no available for comment..