Andrew Payne will leave his studies and work, in New York, on March 15 not to visit his home in Raleigh, but to protest the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. For Payne, the uproar will be worth the trip.
As the vote for the amendment in May draws closer, University activists are gearing up for a busy spring. The amendment would make the only legally recognized union the one between a man and a woman; This will effectively put an end to gay civil unions and domestic partnerships. N.C . State alumni, including Payne, David Hook and Matthew Huffman are spearheading a march to the capital March 15 to combat this legislation called the Ides of Love.
This group of alumni have lead similar efforts in the past, including a march for education when tuition costs spiked; The latter ultimately saved nearly half a million dollars. They created a website, honestnc.com , for that campaign and have used it for various issues since, including the marriage amendment.
“When we heard about the amendment, it’s something that we really cared about,” Hook said.
The march will go from the Belltower on campus to the Halifax Mall, in front of the General Assembly building. According to Payne, once the march reaches Halifax Mall, there will be speakers and entertainers talking about the issue. According to Payne, a minister, he will also marry a gay couple in front of the General Assembly building to show the public it’s not hurting anyone.
Many states have passed similar amendments, but the important thing, according to Payne, is that “it stops here [in North Carolina].” According to Payne, North Carolina has always been a progressive, fair state. Now, he said there is a movement to write hatred into the North Carolina Constitution.
“I don’t believe it’s the states position to tell people who they can and can’t love,” Payne said.
Organizers are looking to publicize the issue through this march.
“The intention [of the march] is to get coverage and show the state and country that there are a large number of people in North Carolina willing to stand against this amendment,” Hook said.
According to Huffman, the main aims of the campaign are informing voters, encouraging voter participation and showing the group’s unity and tenacity.
“We want everyone to be educated about it,” Huffman said. “It’s about people coming together, getting involved with the community, whether they’re a liberal, a conservative, a democrat, a republican, religious or nonreligious, we want people to see this is discrimination.”
The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and they are entitled to such things as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. According to the organizers, this is the driving force behind movements like the Ides of Love.
“We want to show people that this is an issue that merits a lot of consideration,” Huffman said.