1,000,000 Conversations to Defeat Amendment One

8/3/2019 1,000,000 Conversations to Defeat Amendment One

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AMENDMENT ONE

What does Amendment One leave out?

One very important omission is that tens othousands o amilies will be negatively impacted,and many could be ripped apart.

Children will be harmed by this amendment.Depending upon how a judge interprets thisamendment it could easily undercut existing child

custody and visitation rights that are designed toprotect the best interests o children, as well as lawsthat allow second-parent adoptions in order to ensurethat both partners have a legal tie to, and fnancialresponsibilities or, the children they are raising.

Imagine a child losing one parent to disease or anaccident, and then losing the only amily they haveever known because o an amendment that is entirelyabout a political agenda. We should not play politicswith the children and amiles o the state.

At the core o our ounding documents and beliesas a countryand a stateis that we should protectthe right to pursue lie, liberty, and the pursuit ohappiness as we defne it. This amendment is anattempt by the government to defne amily or us.

Fortunately, we still have an opportunity to deeat

Amendment One, and this attempt to defne amilythrough discrimination at the polls.

On September 13th, the NorthCarolina Legislature proposed an

amendment to the Constitution

that would ban legal recognition

or all unmarried couples,

strip protections and benefts

rom amilies across our state,

hurt our business climate andeconomic development and put

our children in danger.

The amendment, as written,

states simply that voters

should decide or or against aconstitutional 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.


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What does

Amendment Oneleave out?


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The most important tool to deeat this

amendment is you.

We are launching this campaign around the

theme o 1,000,000 conversations. Quite

simply, we believe that the only way to deeat

this amendment is or people just like you to

have conversations every single day with your

neighbors, riends, and amily.

We believe in the Power o 10.

I you have open, honest conversations with 10 people,and they speak with 10 people, and they speak with10 people... it doesnt take long to have 1,000,000conversations that could change hearts and minds.

This toolkit is designed to help you have thoseconversations.

You are the best person to make the case to yourloved ones that amilies will literally be ripped apart.

You are the most likely person to convince yourparents that the government has no business trying todefne what a amily should be through discrimination.

You can convince your neighbors that AmendmentOne is bad or business.

Only you can do it. We believe that one person canchange minds. One person can attract ten morepeople who can recruit ten more people to voteagainst the amendment.

I we can have 1,000,000 conversations then we canwin. Lets start having those conversations today.

WHAT CAN I DO?


4/14

QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS

Get the facts.Answer their

questions.

Amendment

One will harmchildren.

This seemingly benign phrasing

(o Amendment One) is used in

other states to prohibit domestic

partner benefts. I could no longer

oer health insurance to my partner

o 16 years or our 9-year-old son.

This would apply to all unmarriedcouples... It doesnt limit divorce or

encourage people to stay married

it just takes away rights rom gay

people and their kids. Marriage is

not a person who needs protection.

My third-grade son, however, is,and he needs protection rom

people... who are trying to take

away his health insurance.

- T. Shawn Long, The News & Observer, June 2011.


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The most important conversations between

now and the vote will be between you

and your loved ones. The most effective

conversations will be those that answer

questions, honestly, and clear up false

information.

In other states where this has happened,

stories of frightened children haveemerged. Children had to ask their parents

if they were still a family or if their parents

would leave them. Even worse, children

reported being bullied at schools because

other kids felt that the state endorsed

excluding people.

The American Medical Association (AMA)states that denying equal recognition for

all couples imposes a harmful stigma on

individuals, couples, and their families.

Do we really want to send a message that

North Carolina believes that children and

families that are playing a vital role in

North Carolina are second-class citizens?


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How will this amendment discourage businesses

from wanting to locate to NC?

We think such an amendment is

wrong or North Carolina. It would

contribute to a climate o hostilitytoward homosexuals, and it also

could be bad or business. Recent

research by UNC School o Law

proessor Victor B. Flatt concluded

that a gay marriage amendment

could cause businesses to see our

state as inhospitable to their gayemployees while undermining

eorts to attract new talent to their

companies.

The Charlotte Observer, sta editorial, August 16, 2011.

One o the most important harms that AmendmentOne would bring to North Carolina i it passes, isthat businesses could no longer be allowed to oerdomestic partner benefts such as health insuranceany longer.

Bank o America, Duke Energy, and others could lose

an incredibly important recruiting tool or talent.

University o North Carolina Law proessor VictorFlatt put it, the larger economic impact may bebased on the perception o what the policy meansabout the state o North Carolina as a place to liveand do business. In this way, even a ConstitutionalAmendment that apparently would only codiy statelaw could have an eect on business as it changes theperception o the state.

On March 1, 2011, Mecklenburg County CommissionerBill James revealed another purpose behind theproposed anti-LGBT amendment to the RaleighNews & Observer: making LGBT people unwelcomein the Tar Heel State. We dont want them here,James said.


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How would passage of this amendment aect wills,

trusts, and power of attorney agreements?

Currently, a domestic partner must execute legaldocuments in order to give their partner hospitalvisitation privileges, medical decision making powers,or powers to direct their fnancial aairs. I the

Amendment passed, courts or hospitals might evenreuse to enorce these directives. Passage o theAmendment would restrict the state rom givingpartners more adequate protections during times omedical crisis.

Domestic Partnersunmarried couples o same oropposite-genderare not automatically recognizedas amily or hospital visitation purposes. This couldmean that a loved one could be reused entry to ahospital room even as their partner suers on theother end o the hall.What effect would its passage have on domestic

violence laws?

The Amendment will harm victims o domesticviolence, calling into question NCs domestic violencelaws. This happened in states like Ohio, where the

passage o a less restrictive amendment meantdozens o batterers were released rom prisonbeore courts could intervenesimply because theywere not married to their victims, urther endangeringthe victims and their children.

As Ohios Cleveland Plain Dealer put it, Ohiovoters who approved a constitutional amendmentthat denied legal recognition o unmarried andgay couples probably didnt envision the measure

being successully used as a deense in domesticviolence cases.

Why are people pushing Amendment One now?

We cant answer the why or everyone involvedin the push or Amendment One, but at least oneconservative lawmaker admitted that the purpose othe amendment was to mobilize Republican voters.Should we really be breaking apart amilies or

political gain?

Who are the members of your coalition who are

not part of the gay, lesbian, and transgender

communities?

The coalition to deeat Amendment One is incrediblydiverse. The NC NAACP, Democracy North Carolina,Disability Rights NC, Lillians List, the Institute orSouthern Studies, and a variety o other groups have

joined together in opposition to this discriminatoryamendment.

What are the unintended consequences of this

amendment?

It would potentially harm domestic violenceprotections, invalidate wills and trusts, prevent

hospital visitation rights, keep unmarried straightcouples rom providing benefts to one another,and a host o other harms.

The amendment is simply worded, but the harmsare many.


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Isnt it true that a majority of North Carolinians

support relationship recognitions, such as civil

unions or domestic partnerships for unmarriedcouples?

Yes, public polling has shown that this is true. This

amendment will close the door on these important

protections or amilies. When people fnd out how

ar this amendment goes and what it actually does, a

majority is against it.

How is the proposed amendment different from past

amendments to the North Carolina constitution?

Quite simply, this amendment is one o very ew that

is designed to take away rights rather than extend

rights and protections. Few amendments have been

designed that will actually harm people.


9/14

ANSWER

OBJECTIONS

Isnt this amendment just about protecting

marriage?

This amendment doesnt protect marriage. It doesnot prohibit divorce, improve the quality o existingrelationships, or strengthen amilies. It does, however,harm real amilies and real children that are part oour community now.

Doesnt this amendment just save us from activistjudges?

Amendment One will actually lead to more activismrom judges. In Ohio, a similar amendment was usedas a deense by individuals convicted o domesticviolence, setting convicted criminals ree. It couldvery easily be used to invalidate wills, trusts, and limitthe right o loving partners to have hospital visitationrights. This amendment will lead to unorseen

consequences that will harm real amilies.

Im religious. Shouldnt I vote for Amendment One?

No. Hundreds o aith leaders have signed on toa statement that reads, As clergy and leaders inour aith traditions, we are mandated by God todemonstrate and protect love in all its orms and tostand or justice or all o creation. In aithul responseto this calling, we commit ourselves, along withthousands o other Christians, Jews, Muslims and

other people o aith around North Carolina, to voiceour opposition to Amendment One, to witness to theharms it would cause ALL o Gods children in NorthCarolina and to use the gits God has given us todeeat this amendment.

Many more aith leaders will do so in the monthsahead. Faith communities are rallying againstAmendment One because it is the opposite o thebelie that all people are created equal and that we

must fght or basic airness.


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Shouldnt marriage be between one man and

one woman?

No matter what you believe the answer to thisquestion should be, under North Carolina lawmarriage is already only between one man and onewoman.

Ive heard that business leaders dont really care

about Amendment One, is this true?

This is alse. It would eectively put a Closed orBusiness sign on the state border or hundreds ocompanies that oer domestic benefts, eature LGBTleadership, and value equality.

When a leading advocate or the Amendment statesthat this will show gay people that, we dont wantthem here, then you can begin to see what thisamendment will mean.

Dont just take it rom us; University o North CarolinaLaw proessor Victor Flatt said, the larger economicimpact may be based on the perception o what the

policy means about the state o North Carolina as

a place to live and do business. In this way, even a

Constitutional Amendment that apparently wouldonly codiy state law could have an eect on businessas it changes the perception o the state.

I believe in recognition for unmarried couples

(straight and gay), but marriage is just too far. That

is why I am supporting Amendment One.

Look beyond the simple wording o Amendment Oneand you will fnd that it will ban ALL recognition orunmarried couples. It could then be used to deny

hospital visitation, invalidate wills, rip apart amilies,and a host o other harms. Amendment One iseectively a trojan horse that will ban the recognitionthat you support, as well as potentially rip apartamilies in your community.

Ive heard that bi-partisan supporters are working to

pass the amendment. Whats the truth?

Reverend Ron Baity, one o the leaders in support oAmendment One, has said that gay people arentnormal, that they promote perversion in schools,and that they are an error. This is the kind olanguage that makes people eel unwanted and leadsto bullying. And is ar outside o the image that NorthCarolina has represented.

A wide range o groups, rom disability rights todomestic violence groups, oppose Amendment One

because o what it will do to individuals, amilies, andcommunities in our states. Extremists can inect ourpolitical system, and reasonable people can disagree,but bi-partisan, and non-partisan, leaders in business,nonprofts and politics oppose Amendment One.


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THE WHEN AND

WHERE OF

CONVERSATIONS

Only you will know the right

time to discuss voting against

Amendment One.

The right time could be watching

television with your riends or

amily. Advertisements in avor

and in opposition to Amendment

One will begin soon enough.

Use your television time to tellthe truth in response to ads that

will urge people to support the

amendment.

You could ask someone i they have heard that we arevoting on an Amendment banning recognition to allunmarried couples this year. A major part o winningthis battle will be educating air minded NorthCarolinians on the amendment and why they mustshow up to vote.

A aith gathering could be the right time to remindsomeone, as the Reverend Douglas Long wrote to the

News and Observer, that, We believe that Gods loveembraces all.... Hundreds o aith communities havealready come out in opposition to Amendment One,remind people!

Amendment One will be voted on in 2012, whichmeans political talk around the Presidential campaignwill dominate the airwaves. When people bring upthe White House, or even the Governors race, remindthem that we are also casting a critically important

vote on basic rights or our riends, amilies, andneighbors.

Take your Mom to lunch and ask her i she would haveliked or your amily to be under attack when youwere young. Remind her o how dicult childhoodcan be already, and how much worse it would havebeen i you had to consider such questions as i yourparents will be your parents any longer.


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Use a long car ride with your Dad to remind him that

you know unmarried couples that would be deeply,negatively impacted by Amendment One. Remind him

that he taught you the value o basic airness or all.

Do you have a Facebook loving riend? Facebooks

coounder, Chris Hughes, a native North Carolinian,

stated that the amendment would eectively show

that his state "does not welcome the diverse workorce

that any state needs to compete in the international

marketplace." As a gay businessman he reminded the

legislature in September 2011, that the next Facebook,

Apple, or Google could be created by another North

Carolinian be mindul o how you treat them and theiramilies.

Remind your siblings that North Carolina has shown

the rest o the South, and even the rest o the country,

what is possible when we look orward, not back. Our

state is better than Amendment One. Voting against

the amendment will send a powerul message to the

country, and the world, that we are a state that values

progress.


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THE HOW OF

CONVERSATIONS

You could

do any o the

ollowing tohost one

(or many) o

our 1,000,000conversations:

Take a loved one to coee... you could discuss theharms o Amendment One over your avorite latte.

Take your parents to lunch... and remind them howvaluable amily is to you, and to them, and then showthem how amilies could literally be ripped apart byAmendment One.

Ask your riends to go on a long run... and discusshow amendments just like Amendment One have goneso ar as to be used as a credible deense in domesticviolence cases.

Pull a coworker aside at the water cooler... andillustrate how companies have said over and over againthat Amendment One will prohibit domestic partnerbenefts, and other packages, that would allow yourcompany to recruit the best and brightest.

Remind your signifcant other... that basic airnessmatters, and that no couple should ace the challengesthat Amendment One will bring to their doorstep.

Pull aside your avorite Ron Paul an... and tell themthat the government doesnt have any business defning

what a amily is - and isnt. Libertarians, liberals,conservatives, and the apathetic can all agree thatthe government has no business in our relationships.

Host a dinner party... invite 5 or 6 riends over ordinner, drinks, and honest conversation about theharms that Amendment One will bring.

Invite a Protect All NC Families organizer to your

home... and ask your network to join you or a mini-town hall. The Coalition is happy to help you havethese conversations. It is the only way to deeat

Amendment One.


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Fight back on the Faith arguments... http://www.protectncamilies.org/content/aith

Give a day per week to organize your community... http://www.protectncamilies.org/crmapi/volunteer

RACE to the Ballot... http://www.racetotheballot.com

Share your story... http://www.protectncamilies.org/share-your-story ...and learn ours... http://www.protectncamilies.org/stories

Learn more about the HARMS involved in Amendment One... http://www.protectncamilies.org/issues

Print this toolkit out and distribute it to your loved ones.

PLEDGE to VOTE... http://www.protectncamilies.org/content/take-pledge

Register to vote, or register others... http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic

THE TOOLS TO

DEFEAT

AMENDMENT ONE

1,000,000 Conversations to Defeat Amendment One

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