The Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families aims to influence North Carolina voters through 1 million conversations prior to the May 8 primary, reported WNCN-TV.

The Coalition maintains that, if passed, the amendment could have dangerous implications on domestic violence laws, threats to domestic partner benefits for public employees, harm to the state's most vulnerable populations, including the working class, disabled, elderly and children.

They said the amendment would also prevent state-sanctioned civil unions and domestic partnerships, besides placing in the constitution what is already state law -- that traditional marriage is the only kind recognized.

North Carolina's state law currently defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, but is the only state in the Southeast that doesn't have a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

The North Carolina Senate voted 30-16 and the House 75-42 in September to take the issue to voters.

According to an Elon University poll done in September, 56 percent of North Carolinians oppose a ban on gay marriage.

"But I hope we can express our positions - keep the conversation to the facts and our principles - and do it in a civil way," Harris, 45, said. "It doesn't mean I'm going to change someone else's position or they're going to change mine. "But in America, we all ought to be able to express ourselves without things getting out of hand."

Now generally when those against marriage equality claim that they want a "civil debate," the lgbtq community and our allies bristle because we know that in the past when these folks call for "calm" and "rationality," it's usually before they pull out all sorts of sundry claims about the gay community.

But I believe Harris when he says he wants a civil debate. However, I also believe that this issue has gone way past out of hand and a perfect example of this is the image below:

According to Jeremy Hooper of Goodasyou.org:

This is the actual graphic that the North Carolina Family Policy Council, the leading anti-equality group in the Tar Heel State, is running in its quarterly publication in order to scare citizens into voting for the state's proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Maybe it's just me, but civil debates on marriage equality don't necessarily encompass images of an assassin targeting newlyweds.

If Rev. Harris truly wants a rational and civil discussion on the issue, he needs to have a serious talk with his allies.

Editor's note - The image can be clearly seen at this link on page. 13.

About the Author:

“We are going to keep it on a positive note: keeping marriage as marriage and keeping it from being redefined,” Fitzgerald told Raleigh’s News & Observer.

The new committee, Vote for Marriage NC, will work to support the passage of an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment banning marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples.

But, the coalition behind the group includes several organizations known for the exact opposite of the kind of “positive” campaign Fitzgerald said she seeks.

Among the groups affiliated with the new Vote for Marriage NC is the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). The group has been involved in several high-profile marriage initiatives, including California’s 2008 Proposition 8 and Maine’s 2009 Question 1. Additionally, NOM took a high-profile stance against New York’s legislative push to approve marriage equality there this year.

Sketchy history

In past campaigns, NOM has been caught pushing obvious misinformation, lies and spin.

This year, the group came under fire for misrepresenting supposed “legal scholars” opposed to marriage equality. Each of the several scholars cited by the organization were extremely biased and one, Robert George, is a former NOM board chairman.

NOM has also regularly exploited children in their political quests.

Also this year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact knocked the group for their repeated claims that legalization of same-sex marriage in New York would lead to kindergarteners learning about same-sex relationships.

The group has also attempted to link homosexuality to pedophilia — not once, but twice. The NOM-affiliated Ruth Institute has also claimed that homosexuality is a “learned” and “addictive” behavior.

In August, NOM accused gay activists of engaging in “jihad” to take away anti-gay Christians’ rights.

One of NOM’s first campaigns featured a billboard comparing a marriage equality supporter to Judas and Benedict Arnold. The group reincarnated the theme this year for mailers targeting pro-gay legislators in New York.

Equality Matters has provided a more in-depth run-down of NOM’s efforts in New York.

Mum’s the word

Current NOM President Brian Brown has said gay activists are engaging in a 'jihad.' Photo Credit: WisPolitics.com.

NOM has been tight-lipped about their plans for North Carolina. According to one watchdog gay blogger, the national anti-family group’s silence thus far is questionable given the group’s traditionally outspoken nature. NOM has been especially active in Minnesota, which also faces an anti-LGBT amendment threat this year.

“I’ve noticed that everyone in North Carolina has been quiet,” Jeremy Hooper of GoodAsYou.org told qnotes. “In Minnesota, the opposition is very engaged with a strong web presence and all that we’re used to. But North Carolina has been suspiciously quiet.”

Hooper said NOM’s recent reticent nature is likely a sign they are still developing strategy.

“In Minnesota, they’re going heavily Catholic. In Maryland, it’s the African American church. And so on and so forth,” he said. “I’d guess they’ve been trying to find their specific North Carolina direction, other than just white evangelical, which seems to be forefront in North Carolina’s opposition movement.”

Hooper’s analysis isn’t too far off the mark. The most outspoken proponents of the anti-LGBT amendment have largely come from white, Protestant and evangelical circles.

Last month, the N.C. Baptist State Convention unanimously approved support for the amendment.

At the time, newly elected N.C. Baptist President and First Baptist Church-Charlotte Pastor Mark Harris confidently reasserted his denomination’s stance.

“I believe the bible makes it clear,” Harris told qnotes. “The bible introduces marriage as between one man and one woman.”

The N.C. Baptist Convention is among the groups forming the Vote for Marriage NC committee.

Searching for an angle

South Carolina blogger and anti-gay watchdog Alvin McEwen told qnotes that he expects a strong NOM presence in the lead-up to the May 8, 2012, vote on the amendment.

How NOM goes about instituting their campaign strategy is a question still left unanswered. McEwen said the group’s past rhetoric and actions provide some clues.

Thom Tillis

In response to questions of how the amendment, which would write discrimination into our state's founding document, would in any way defend the constitutional mandate of "liberty and justice for all," the Republican leader admitted he has difficulty with the amendment to the "extent to which government imposes its will on personal lives."

According to the political blog, WataugaWatch, Tillis admitted he has "a personal difficulty with [that] constitutional amendment because I don’t believe government should be telling us what to do...".

Others in the Boone audience used the platform to denounce the discriminatory measure altogether, including one audience member who called the amendment simply “shameful." She continued, “Loving people should have the same rights as I do, a heterosexual person and an ordained minister.”

To which Speaker Tillis responded, “This is not an issue that I completely disregard some of the arguments you make."

Speaker Tillis isn't the first high-profile Republican to admit discomfort with the impact of the anti-LGBT amendment on the ballot in May 2012.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, North Carolina's ultra-conservative Tea Party congresswoman, opened the floodgates for conservative opposition this proposed legislation that would ban same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

According to the Raleigh News and Observer, "Ellmers a conservative Republican, was asked her opinion on the Defense of Marriage amendment during an appearance last week at Campbell University, and her answer might have surprised some listeners .... her spokesman, Tom Doheny, confirmed that she planned to vote against the constitutional ban that was adopted by the legislature in September because it is too broadly drawn."

Doheny told the paper "As a voter, she would vote against a piece of legislation that would add a ban on civil unions to the protection of marriage since they are two different issues and should be dealt with separately."

Similar sentiments were echoed in the bipartisan legislative effort to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," including support by North Carolina's Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who, in a surprising about-face, joined with fellow Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) in voting for the repeal.

Burr became one of eight Republicans to stand with Democrats in backing the DADT repeal, explaining "Given the generational transition that has taken place in our nation, I feel that this policy is outdated and repeal is inevitable." Burr added, "[M]y conclusion is that repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell is the right thing to do."

With a single vote, Burr joined a bipartisan effort to pave the way for LGBT soldiers in his home state, and beyond, to serve their country openly, and, as the senior Republican legislator representing North Carolina, helped set the stage for other conservative politicians like Ellmers, and state voters alike, to take similar, bipartisan stands against anti-LGBT legislation.

These political positions against anti-LGBT correspond with constituent opposition to this type of discriminatory legislation. An Elon University poll released last week revealed a majority (56%) of North Carolina residents oppose a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriages.

The poll also showed a strong majority (62%) of North Carolinians support marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples, revealing a dramatic 9% increase in public support for marriage equality in only two years. Perhaps most striking is that support for full marriage rights increased by 5% since February, marking a whopping 12 percentage-point increase in support since 2009.

"These concerns about the anti-LGBT amendment from conservative leaders like Speaker Tillis and Congresswoman Ellmers make it clear that the fight against this discriminatory measure transcends party lines and political affiliations," said Stuart Campbell, Equality NC's executive director.

"It's clear that this legislation is not a conservative measure, but rather an extreme, overreaching act that seeks to allow state government to define what makes a family in North Carolina. As a result, we're asking voters from all parties to vote against this gross intrusion in the private lives of their fellow North Carolinians."

The amendment, approved by the legislature in September, will appear on the May 8, 2012, primary ballot. If voters approve it, the amendment would ban recognition of marriage, civil unions and domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples.

Advocates with Equality North Carolina’s new Coalition to Protect NC Families say the amendment is not solely an LGBT issue. The legislation’s broad language could impact domestic violence laws, child custody arrangements, wills and other legal matters between unmarried opposite-sex couples.

Getting that message out will be key to Protect NC Families’ coalition approach, new campaign manager Jeremy Kennedy told qnotes. He cited Mississippi’s defeat last week of a constitutional amendment that could have banned abortion procedures and contraceptives as an example of a successful, southern issues-based campaign.

“They had a broad coalition of people maybe not directly affected by that amendment, being able to show how the amendment would hurt all people in Mississippi, not just women. That’s what we will do here,” Kennedy said.

About 10 groups and 20-30 of their affiliates have already pledged to support the new coalition, Kennedy said.

He also thinks North Carolina is ready for the challenge.

“North Carolina is the only southern state to have fought off one of these amendments,” Kennedy said. “It’s not just because of the politics in the state that it’s been fought off but also because people and organizations in this state have organized and fought against it.”

He added, “North Carolina is primed to really make history here and be the first state to be able to beat one of these amendments.”

The Coalition to Protect NC Families has launched an initial website at protectncfamilies.org. Kennedy said the group is still in its early planning stages, but they are working diligently to pull all of the campaign’s components together. Hiring staff and working to open field offices across the state will be high on the group’s list of priorities in the new year. Currently, the coalition has hired Kennedy, Faith Outreach Director Ryan Rowe and a field organizer, Chris Speer.

Jeremy Kennedy

Kennedy said he hopes to organize as many people as possible to get out and vote against the amendment in May. Doing so will require a tremendous amount of resources.

“If I get as much money as I want, I’ll have an office open and organizer in each town,” he said.

Raising the capital to mount a successful campaign will be among Kennedy’s first jobs. He’ll rely on support from a large team of campaign steering committee members, co-chaired by contract lobbyist and former Equality North Carolina Interim Executive Director Alex Miller and Blueprint North Carolina Executive Director Sean Kosofsky.

“Early money,” Kennedy said, will play a deciding role in the shape of the campaign’s future.

“Whether we like to believe it or not or whether we want to talk about it, money wins because it gives us the resources to win,” he said.

Kennedy said raising money will take all supporters’ involvement, from college students’ $5 contributions to more able donors’ $10,000 gifts.

The Coalition to Protect NC Families will operate as a referendum committee and be able to collect contributions from other organizations, individuals and businesses, a structure that will differ significantly from anti-gay organizations supporting the amendment. While the coalition’s donations will be reported publicly to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the anti-gay The North Carolina Values Coalition has been registered as a 501(c)4 and will keep their donors anonymous.

Kennedy said the difference in approaches might seem small, but are telling of larger philosophical differences.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” Kennedy asserted, commenting on the group’s decision to make donor and contribution information public. “We have nothing to hide and want to run a transparent campaign that the community believes in and that the community is a part of.”

The outcome of the May vote will depend ultimately on voter engagement and turnout, a reality Kennedy and other coalition team members already realize and are working to support.

“We want to run a ground campaign here that is going to be unlike anything North Carolina has seen before for an issue like this,” Kennedy said. “Of course we’ll have ads, mail, earned media and the events, but if we don’t have a program talking to voters one-one at the doors, on phones and in churches, then we’re not going to be able to bring the votes out.”

The coalition expects to host an official campaign launch in early December.

LaWana Mayfield

LaWana Mayfield celebrates her election victory with a supporter.

As of 10 p.m. and with all precincts reporting, Mayfield had garnered 78 percent of the vote against Toney’s 22 percent.

“Thank you community,” Mayfield said. “I am so excited about all the support I received from District 3, from all of who you volunteered and phone banked and called and sent me postive messages, who came out to early voting and who voted today. Thank you for your support.”

Mayfield’s supporters say her victory marks a turning point for Charlotte, a city not necessarily known for its LGBT inclusion.

“It’s historic, the first time anyone LGBT out on the city council,” said Scott Bishop, a volunteer with Equality North Carolina and the Human Rights Campaign. “At least now we have someone [on council] all the time who can give a counter-balance to whatever is said in a meeting where we might not always be present.”

Charlotte is the last major city in North Carolina to offer protections to gay and lesbian employees, though the city council has yet to vote on a fully-LGBT-inclusive employment policy or domestic partner benefits.

Connie Vetter, a local attorney with a long history of LGBT advocacy work, agreed that Mayfield’s election will change the political debate.

“By having her on the dais, we’re at the table more than we’ve ever been before,” she said.

Mayfield will replace outgoing Democratic incumbent Warren Turner, who was accused of anti-gay sexual harassment of several female city employees last year. Mayfield garnered 51 percent of the vote in her primary race against Turner in September.

A first-time candidate for public office, Mayfiled has said she sought to take the high road during her primary campaign against him. She later had to distance herself from attack ads mailed to District 3 voters by the Raleigh-based group Common Sense Matters. The group, headed by openly gay Raleigh businessman Alan King, paid $14,227 for the fliers.

Despite the short-lived controversy over King’s attack ads, Mayfield led an otherwise strong campaign focused solely in issues she said her constituents cared about. Foremost on their minds, she said, was property values, economic growth and public safety.

Mayfield had won endorsements from the Mecklenburg LGBT Political Action Committee, Mecklenburg County Black Political Caucus, this newspaper,The Charlotte Post and The Charlotte Observer.

In July, she received a national endorsement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

“This is a big step forward. We’re thrilled for LaWana and the Charlotte LGBT community, and really proud to have played a part in this history-making night,” said Denis Dison, the Victory Fund’s vice president for communications. “Electing out local officials makes cities like Charlotte more welcoming to LGBT families, and it sends a message that voters are fair-minded.”

Mayfield also received national financial report, far outweighing her opponent in campaign fundraising. As of her pre-election campaign finance report, filed on Oct. 27, Mayfield had raised a total of $42,881.87. Toney’s pre-election report, filed on Oct. 28, showed total fundraising at $5,190.99.

The Tuesday-night victory for Mayfield comes as North Carolina voters find themselves facing an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment that would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. The measure will be considered on the state’s May 8, 2012, primary ballot.

The new data contradicts an earlier poll by Durham’s Public Policy Polling and demonstrates opposition to the amendment from a majority of North Carolinians of all ages and races.

On Oct. 12, Public Policy Polling released the results of a Sept. 30-Oct. 3 poll of 671 primary voters that showed the amendment leading 61-34 percent. The Elon University poll, which surveyed voters and non-voters alike, was conducted Sept. 25-29 and showed 56 percent opposed to the amendment.

Of particular note is high opposition to the amendment from African-American voters. Sixty-six percent of African-Americans polled by Elon are opposed to the amendment. Sixty-nine percent favor some sort of legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships.

North Carolina House Republicans have attempted to sway the black vote, largely seen as socially conservative, in favor of the amendment. In September, North Carolina House Majority Leader Paul Stam (R-Wake) and Speaker Pro Tem Dale Folwell (R-Forsyth) joined a group of black pastors at a press conference to explain their support for the amendment.

A majority of white poll participants and those of other races were also opposed. Additionally, respondents of all ages voiced opposition to the amendment. Results ranged from 79 percent opposition from those aged 18-24 to just 54 percent opposition from those aged 65 and over. Poll participants of all ages also support some recognition of same-sex couples.

Elon pollsters’ questions differed significantly from those asked by Public Policy Polling. Elon asked, “Would you [support or oppose] an amendment to the North Carolina constitution that would prevent any same sex marriages?” The Public Policy poll, however, used language directly from the amendment’s text, asking, “Would you vote for or against a constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State?”

The difference in polling results might have been influenced by the nature of the questions asked. Public Policy Polling indicated as much when they released their poll.

James Forrester

Forrester had several health problems including a heart condition. His family said that he fell ill over the weekend. He was admitted to the hospital on Sunday and placed in its intensive care unit. He passed away when he was removed from life support on Monday.

A family friend released a statement to the Denver, N.C., denverncnews.com on behalf of Forrester’s family.

"It all happened suddenly,” the email read. “Yesterday, they went to the mountains and Jim lost strength in his legs. The doctor advised him to come back to Caromont for some tests.”

The family friend continued, “We all know how ill he has been, but he continued to work in the Senate. He told Mary Frances (his wife) that he wanted to go out with his boots on and support the causes in which he believed to his last breath.”

Forrester was the chief sponsor of the state’s impending anti-LGBT constitutional amendment banning marriage, civil unions and domestic partner benefits.

In early October, Forrester, a physician by trade, came under scrutiny for allegedly falsifying some of his credentials. He later proved that he’d been a past, though not current, member in several medical associations.

NC4Equality

Kathryn Cartledge and Elizabeth Eve, after release from police custody.

Rev. Kathryn Cartledge and Elizabeth Eve, her partner of 30 years, were among the first couples to request a license last weekas a part of the Coalition for Southern Equality’s “We Do” Campaign. They were the last couple request a license for a second time today and refused to leave the office after their denial.

The two were arrested at about 4 p.m. after being asked to leave and continuing their sit-in. They have been charged with trespassing and were immediately released by local law enforcement.

The civil disobedience was the culmination of a two-week-long campaign organized by the Coalition for Southern Equality and comes as campaigns form to defeat an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment on marriage and civil unions.

About two dozen same-sex couples have been denied marriage licenses over the course of the group’s “We Do” Campaign. The group organized several couples in requesting the licenses each weekday since Oct. 3.

Coalition for Southern Equality Executive Director Jasmine Beach-Ferrara has described her group’s campaign as a social justice movement. She says it is time to demand full equality for LGBT people.

“Today’s action is about real people saying, I will no longer live as a second-class citizen in my country,” Beach-Ferrara said in a statement following the arrests.

“Kathryn and Elizabeth have devoted their lives to public service and to the values of love and fairness. Today, they stand up not just for their right to be marry, but for all LGBT people who know first hand how harmful these laws are. We are saying, simply, we are equal people. Laws that treat us as unequal must change. We will continue to resist them until they do.”

Bev Perdue

“My top priority is creating jobs,” Perdue said in a statement released on Friday afternoon. “Too many people are out of work and I’ve heard from several business leaders who’ve told me that the proposed constitutional amendment will harm our state’s business climate and make it harder to grow jobs here.”

Perdue added, “I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman: That’s why I voted for the law in 1996 that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, and that’s why I continue to support that law today. But I’m going to vote against the amendment because I cannot in good conscience look an unemployed man or woman in the eye and tell them that this amendment is more important than finding them a job.

"In addition, a number of legal experts have argued that this amendment, if passed, could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in our state, regardless of sexual orientation. Right now, my focus, the General Assembly’s focus, and North Carolina’s focus needs to be on creating jobs.”

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation over Perdue’s personal thoughts on the measure. The Democrat had refused requests by the media and activists for her to clarify her remarks or issue a more definitive statement. In fact, two requests for comment from QNotes to the governor’s press office were ignored.

James Forrester

“What has happened is the gay community — the homosexuals don’t like the bill that I pushed through the General Assembly,” Forrester told qnotes via phone.

“They don’t like the bill. They are trying to kill the messenger. They are working to discredit me but they can’t.”

Forrester added, “If I put anything on my résumé that is false, I’ll certainly change it.”

Any mistakes, Forrester said, were “inadvertent.”

“I don’t need to make up credentials; I have enough of them already,” he said. “The gay community is just trying to dig up anything bad about me to discredit me and discredit the bill. I wish they’d quit sending such hate mail and the terrible phone calls I’m getting from them.”

Forrester also said he had already changed his résumé to list “former” affiliations with groups like the American College of Preventive Medicine, though mentions of the groups remain unedited on his résumé at his personal campaign site and at a web page on the Gaston County Republican Party’s website.

In each instance, Forrester’s citations seem to indicate a current and active affiliation with various groups.

James Forrester

Pam’s House Blend blog contributor Scott Rose broke the news of Forrester’s falsifications on Thursday when he published communications with the American College of Preventive Medicine, an association with which Forrester claims he is a fellow. The executive director of the group confirmed with qnotes that Forrester is not a member or fellow of his group.

“To be a fellow of the society, you have to be a member for a certain amount of time and have contributed to the organization,” ACPM Executive Director Michael Barry said. “Some just think they are fellows just by virtue of being certified.”

Barry said Forrester is, in fact, certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine, but the board and ACPM are independent bodies. Barry also said he has spoken to some of Forrester’s family members who claim the state senator has a board certification form.

Further reports have indicated that Forrester might also be fibbing on his association with the Aerospace Medical Association. Despite claims on his resume, Forrester’s name is not listed on a current list of group’s associate fellows.

Questions now fall on Forrester’s claim of membership in the Christian Medical and Dental Association. He lists his current membership with the organization on his resume at his personal campaign site and at a web page on the Gaston County Republican Party’s website.

Searches of the Christian medical group’s membership database returned no results for the family physician and 10-term state senator. The group’s database includes practicing members who have opted to be listed. A search of doctors within a 100-mile radius of Forrester’s work address yielded no results for Forrester.

qnotes reached out to Forrester for comment and clarification on Friday morning. He was not immediately available at his legislative office in Raleigh, his Stanley, N.C., office or at home. The Christian Medical and Dental Association’s offices are closed on Fridays.

On Thursday, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt issued a call for Forrester to resign. Equality North Carolina Interim Executive Director Alex Miller said it should come as no surprise the lawmaker misrepresented personal credentials just as he routinely misrepresents facts about the lives of gay and lesbian people.

Forrester made waves earlier this week after appearing on Sirius/XM’s “Michelangelo Signorile Show,” in which he repeatedly refused to answer simple questions about claims he made on the lifespan of gay and lesbian people. The claims had originally been made at a town hall in Gaston County. The claims were later reported without refutation or fact-checking by Gaston Gazette reporter Wade Allen.

Forrester was the lead sponsor of the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment that would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples. The measure was approved by the legislature on Sept. 13 and placed on the May 2012 ballot.

James Forrester

In an open letter posted at Pam’s House Blend this morning, contributor Scott Rose details efforts he made to reach out to the American College of Preventative Medicine and their response.

Forrester has claimed he is a fellow of the medical association. Officials at the group say he has never been a member and never a fellow.

“The quick answer to your questions is that Dr. Forrester is not, and never has been, a member of ACPM (much less a Fellow, which is our highest designation of membership),” writes Michael A. Barry, executive director of the group. “However, this is troubling to us, too, that he’s apparently claiming to be a Fellow of ACPM and we would like to know where Dr. Forrester is making these proclamations so that we can approach him and demand that he cease falsely using ACPM credentials in his campaign or wherever else he’s using it. If you can point us to some places where he’s using those credentials, we’d be most appreciative.”

Rose pointed the group in the direction of a Gaston County Republican Party web page containing Forrester’s bio in which the supposed credential was listed. Click here to see a screenshot of the page.

The bio page is still available online and still includes the false information. The false information also appears on Forrester’s campaign website (screenshot). [Ed. Note -- This story mistakenly claimed the original web page had been taken offline. This is not true. We regret the error.]

Forrester made waves earlier this week after appearing on Sirius/XM’s “Michelangelo Signorile Show,” in which he repeatedly refused to answer simple questions about claims he made on the lifespan of gay and lesbian people. The claims had originally been made at a town hall in Gaston County. The claims were later reported without refutation or fact-checking by Gaston Gazette reporter Wade Allen.

Forrester and his wife (more here and here), a longtime representative of the North Carolina chapter of Concerned Women for America, have been ardent advocates for anti-LGBT measures in North Carolina.

While in the North Carolina House of Representatives, Forrester was a lead sponsor of the state’s statutory Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. For the past eight years, Forrester has led the push for an anti-LGBT constitutional amendment that would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples.

The measure’s placement on the May 2012 ballot was approved by the legislature on Sept. 13.

In response to an inquiry by the Washington Blade, Shin Inouye, Director of Specialty Media for the White House Office of Communications, said:

“The President has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples That’s why he has called for repeal of the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ and determined that his Administration would no longer defend the constitutionality of DOMA in the courts. He has also said that the states should determine for themselves how best to uphold the rights of their own citizens.

“While the President does not weigh in on every single action taken by legislative bodies in our country, the record is clear that the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples. The President believes strongly in stopping laws designed to take rights away.”

Earlier Tuesday, the North Carolina state Senate approved a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, sending the measure to a statewide vote in May 2012.

If approved by voters, the state constitution would be amended to read that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state.”

The Senate voted 30-16 in favor, just barely achieving the required three-fifths majority.

The House approved the measure Monday by a vote of 75-42.

If approved by voters, the North Carolina constitution would be amended to read that "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state."

“North Carolina lawmakers have turned their back on an opportunity to recognize and affirm our common humanity by voting to place this unnecessary and unfair amendment on the ballot," said Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in a statement.

"This is deeply disappointing and hurtful to thousands of North Carolina same-sex couples who simply want to be able to care for each other and their families, as all families do. Challenging times such as these are made easier when people join together, not when they tear each other apart. We urge the fair-minded people of North Carolina to reject this painful attack on their neighbors, co-workers, friends and family members," Carey said.

The language of the bill effectively prohibits civil unions, domestic partnerships and other relationship recognition for same-sex couples.

However, in lawmaker's zeal to pass the measure and put it before voters, language of the bill is so restrictive that it would also prohibit recognition of non-marriage unions between heterosexual couples as well.

The the opening debate, primary sponsor Sen. James Forrester (R-Gaston) said he was thankful to get the opportunity to hear his bill, reported Matt Comer at QNotes.

“This is the eighth year I put in this bill,” Forrester said. “The bill never had a hearing. I’m very happy to have this bill before us at the time.”

Forrester said the amendment was intended to defend the “an institution in our society based upon the complementary male and female loin.”