NORTH CAROLINA: Thousands Rally For Constitutional Marriage Ban

As Tony Perkins noted in a post several below this one, for the first time in a century the GOP now controls both chambers of the North Carolina legislature. Yesterday thousands rallied in Raleigh in support of the renewed push for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. North Carolina, which already bans gay marriage by statute, is the only southern state without a constitutional ban.

State Capitol Police estimated about 3,500 people participated in the marriage amendment rally behind the Legislative Building and organized by the Forsyth County-based Return America group. Visitors carried placards, American and Christian flags and listened to ministers and other speakers argue it's time for the voters to cast yes or no votes for the amendment. "We're here today to protect families and make sure every child retains the right to have both a mother and a father," Bill Brooks with the North Carolina Family Policy Council told the crowd on the Halifax Mall. "We're here today to preserve our right to religious freedom and our sincere belief that anything other than marriage shared between a man and a woman goes against God's design for creation."

(Video via Towleroad)