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