The vote on the amendment is May 8, 2012, so there is not a lot of time to educate voters around the state about just how extreme this ballot initiative is. Public Policy Polling’s latest data shows just how confused many North Carolinians are about the scope of the effect if this is passed. Most North Carolinians are fair-minded and want legal recognition for same-sex relationships…but some of these voters are still in favor of the amendment.

Education is sorely needed, because while polls show North Carolinians support legal recognition of same-sex couples, it’s another matter to get those in favor of fairness to out to vote — to give straight allies (as well as LGBTs) the information they need to speak to their friends and neighbors to motivate them with facts about what this amendment will do.

Here’s some jaw-dropping cowardice at work in the North Carolina Senate. At the 11th hour — of course in the dead media zone of Friday afternoon — Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and staff are not only trying to hide the fact that they will bring a marriage amendment bill up for debate on Monday, but they are trying to do it in a stealth fashion that is completely disgusting. Berger and his fellow elected Bigots to Kill NC Business don’t want the public to know about or participate in the debate.

I’d like to be able to tell my friends who live outside of my great state that our leadership is working hard to bring jobs to NC and to boost the flagging economy for us here, but the Republicans, in charge of the general assembly for the first time since Reconstruction as a result of the 2010 midterms, are more focused on promoting a very specific religious point of view and embarrassing themselves in talking about sex acts in the name of “protecting marriage.” Recognition of church-state separation eludes these elected officials.