Equality North Carolina’s Lobby Day Puts a Face on Traditional Marriage Supporters

On Tuesday, March 24, supporters of Equality North Carolina (ENC) took to the Legislative Building for their official lobbying day on the issues of gay marriage, sexual education, and bullying of gay, bisexual, and transgender children in schools. It was a chance for some citizen lobbyists to put a face to the name of NC4Marriage, as a co-worker and I stood at the front entrance of the Legislative Building to greet any marriage supporters who showed up to lobby for NC4Marriage.

The day started slowly, but as more and more ENC members came through the doors they began to engage us in conversation about why and how we could possibly support a cause that hurts them personally. While some were not interested in what we had to say, many of the members were well-spoken kind-hearted people who really wanted us to be able to put a face to what we were against.

I think both parties came away from the day’s discussions with a genuine respect for the other side and an understanding that we truly come from a place of love, not hate. As one ENC supporter put it, “I have not enjoyed talking to you, because you are such a rational person.” While this brought a smile to my face it was also good to know that rational discussion can still take place between two organizations that each feel so strongly that their position on an issue is right.

(This post was written by two twenty-two year-old recent college graduates who work with NC4Marriage.)