Tag Archives: North Carolina

Gay US House candidate Clay Aiken is causing some head scratching in North Carolina with a new campaign slogan touting his “Republaiken” supporters. The new “Republaiken” yard signs and stickers are popping up across the second congressional district. His spokesperson said the new messaging is a way to reach out to everyone and show that even some Republicans are supporting …

Via the News-Observer: Phil Berger [photo], president pro tem of the N.C. Senate, and Thom Tillis, speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, two of the Republican leaders who helped shepherd Amendment One to a statewide referendum, said late Monday they planned to take on the legal battle to defend the ban that North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has …

Via the Winston-Salem Journal: In a letter sent to city employees Aug. 28, Human Resources Director Carmen Caruth said that the city would recognize marriage licenses from any state or U.S. jurisdiction for all city benefits, regardless of whether the couple is of the same or opposite sexes. That decision went into effect immediately. Caruth cited a ruling by the …

Clip recap: Anti-gay attorneys took a beating before the Seventh Circuit last week, trying and failing to defend marriage bans before a panel of hostile judges. Now all eyes are on the Supreme Court to see which cases they’ll take up in their fall session. There’s another major marriage argument coming up in a few days. And the National Organization …

Yesterday a federal court stayed any further action on North Carolina’s same-sex marriage battle until SCOTUS rules on Virginia’s Bostic case. According to the order, should SCOTUS decline to hear Virginia’s case, the stay will be lifted. Also yesterday AFER followed Virginia AG Mark Herring and the Alliance Defending Freedom in asking SCOTUS to hear Bostic. The North Carolina ruling …

From the website of Duke University: Researchers have pinpointed the environmental source of fungal infections that have been sickening HIV/AIDS patients in Southern California for decades. It literally grows on trees. The discovery is based on the science project of a 13-year-old girl, who spent the summer gathering soil and tree samples from areas around Los Angeles hardest hit by …

Clip recap: Major news in Virginia this week, where the Fourth Circuit has refused to delay marriage equality for any longer. Now anti-gay defendants have asked the US Supreme Court to step in at the last minute. A judge in Tennessee has upheld that state’s marriage ban, on the basis of outdated arguments regarding procreation. And over a dozen couples …

Via the Associated Press: Gay marriage advocates want a federal judge to quickly overturn North Carolina’s ban on same-sex unions after an appeals court ruling to overturn a similar prohibition in Virginia. Federal Judge William Osteen in Greensboro has put no timeline on when he might rule over whether North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban can stay in place. The American …

Last week a North Carolina diner gained national headlines after a Christian radio station posted the above receipt which notes the discount granted to patrons who pray before their meals. Despite the owner’s claims that the discount was randomly granted even to those to simply meditate or have an “attitude of gratitude,” the discount has been dropped. Elizabeth Cavell, staff …

Clip recap: I’m back on the East Coast this week, reporting on AFER’s huge victory in Virginia. The fourth circuit has upheld a ruling that the state’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. There’s been immediate fallout from that ruling in several nearby states. We also have new southern polling, and victory in Alaska, but only for dead people.

Via the Huffington Post: Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is offering a 15 percent “praying in public” discount. Owner Mary Haglund confirmed the discount to The Blaze on Friday saying that she has actually been offering the rebate for four years now. The discount, which she said is not aligned with any singular religious affiliation, hasn’t been advertised …

Via Equality North Carolina: Following a ruling today from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of marriage equality, North Carolina’s Attorney General Roy Cooper held a press conference in response, saying that as a result of the ruling, North Carolina’s own ban on the freedom to marry, “will almost surely be overturned.” He added that the North Carolina’s …

“Today’s 4th Circuit decision is not yet final. It won’t be final until at least August 18th (it could be longer if a petition for rehearing is sought) and, of course, a stay of today’s decision by the 4th Circuit or the Supreme Court might be sought by the clerks who defended the Virginia marriage ban. In addition, while nothing …

Via the Charlotte Observer: The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and the Alliance of Baptists have made it official that they are joining as plaintiffs in a Federal District Court lawsuit opposing North Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban. The United Church of Christ filed the lawsuit in April, challenging North Carolina’s state ban on same sex marriage. The suit is …

Legendary poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has died in her North Carolina home at the age of 86. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines confirmed Angelou was found by her caretaker on Wednesday morning. Angelou had been reportedly battling health problems. She recently canceled a scheduled appearance of a special event to be held in her honor. Angelou was …

Ten years ago the Benham brothers joined anti-gay activist Michael Brown in demanding that the Charlotte City Council ban gay pride events. David Benham: “This is filth, this is vile, and should not be allowed in our city.” In more recent years I’ve reported on Brown’s annual invasion of Charlotte Pride during which hundreds of his red-shirted Coalition Of Conscience …

“I support same-sex marriage. Who someone loves should never be an issue at work, or any place else. As the mayor, I was the first mayor to even go meet with the LGBT community. I was, unlike my predecessors, someone who went out, and then went to the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner and signed a letter. I did a …

Former North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco died at the age of 71 today following a fall at his home. Crisco was Clay Aiken’s opponent in last week’s Democratic primary for the U.S House.  His campaign spokesperson said Crisco was preparing to leave his home when he fell down a flight of stairs. Crisco was trailing Aiken by just …