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Bank of America executive: N.C. anti-gay marriage amendment would be ‘disastrous’

Bank of America executive: N.C. anti-gay marriage amendment would be ‘disastrous’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A top executive at Bank of America has denounced a proposed constitutional amendment in North Carolina that would define marriage as the union between a man and a woman, and said the initiative would be “disastrous” to the state’s business climate.

“We’re in a war with other states across the country who would love to have the jobs that we have today,” said Catherine Bessant, a global technology and operations executive at the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank, in a video posted this week on YouTube.

“Amendment One has the potential to have a disastrous effect on our ability to attract talent and keep talent in the state of North Carolina,” she said.

Watch:

Bessant isn’t the first banking leader to take a stand on the issue.

In February, Lloyd Blankfein, Cheif Executive of Goldman Sachs appeared in a video for the Human Rights Campaign supporting same-sex marriage.

Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank, is headquartered in Charlotte — approximately 18,000 of its 285,000 employees work in the state.

Amendment One would place a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in North Carolina, which already prohibits granting marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

The video featuring Bessant was released by “Protect All NC Families,” an advocacy group working to fight passage of the amendment.

Voters will decide the issue on May 8.

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