(CHARLOTTE) – Many in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community were disappointed the Democratic Party picked North Carolina for the national convention because voters approved the Defense of Marriage constitutional amendment. But this week they were boasting of the largest contingent yet of openly gay delegates, 470, at the Democatic National Convention. That includes the first openly transgender delegate from North Carolina, Janice Covington. They packed into a meeting room at the Charlotte Convention Center to celebrate the Democratic platform that contains many of the issues they support, such as legalizing same sex marriage. Thirty one states have some kind of legislative or constitutional prohibition on same sex marriage. They heard from two openly gay candidates from North Carolina. Rep. Marcus Brandon (D-Guilford) is unopposed in the House of Representatives 60th district. He told the crowd the cause is still very much alive in North Carolina despite the passage of Amendment One…
Also featured at the caucus meeting was Deb Butler, the lesbian Democrat running against incumbent Republican Senator Thom Goolsby in the 9th Senatorial District. She said North Carolina still has inequality issues to settle…
While both enthusiastically supported the national Democratic agenda on gay rights that’s still a thorny issue back home. The Defense of Marriage Amendment was approved by a wide margin and polls show many still oppose legalizing same sex marriage in North Carolina. Republican National Committee response team member John Sununu says candidates will have to avoid parts of the Democratic platform that won’t play well in battleground states such as North Carolina…
This post was updated to correct wording referring to number of states with same sex marriage legislation.
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