WUNC News; Gay Marriage

Dave and Jeff live in Raleigh. They've been a couple for 14 years. Last summer, the two traveled to Vermont to formalize their relationship. Vermont was the first state in the country to grant gay and lesbian couples civil unions. The civil union was such a positive experience. We knew that we wanted to do it, but when we got there and actually exchanged vows, it was such a powerful and personal experience that we decided that we really wanted to do something else. Also, we got a lot of flack from our family and friends for not including them. So two weeks ago, after much planning, Dave and Jeff were joined in Holy Union at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church near NC State. But Dave and Jeff say all the politics surrounding gay marriage and equal rights for gay couples almost got in the way. You know, we were planning our service and Massachusetts. Constitutional amendment. And the president, the week before our service was the president coming forward supporting an amendment. It threw me for a loop until friends lifted us up and we kept our focus. It was a trying time to be planning the happiest time in our

lives. And the church is trying to support other gay couples in its congregation. Wednesday night about 40 people met to talk about legal cases and issues. As you say, we're busy living with you. It's an emotional too. I mean, who would have thought I just want to change my daughter's name to add my partner's last name? Case I die. So that her rights won't, something won't happen to her. Pullen Memorial is a member of the North Carolina Council of Churches and the Council's executive board is spoken out against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. They say discrimination is wrong. But this religious body is made up of over a dozen different denominations and they would find it quite difficult to agree on whether gay marriages should be performed in their churches. But some North Carolina churches are clear in their opposition to religious or civil marriages for gays and lesbians. Last weekend, a group of independent Baptist churches gathered in Asheville for a family

values rally. The Reverend Melvin Thurman is the pastor of Balsam Ridge Baptist Church in Wayne'sville. The structure of marriage between man and woman. That's the only thing that's set forth by God in his precious word. And Mike Munger, head of the political science department at Duke University, says this issue won't be decided in church. Trying to use religion as a justification on one side or the other really doesn't address the issue. This is an entirely civil question and it has to do with whether we're legally going to allow two men or two women to form a civil union contract. And some churches may see it that way. One of the state's largest religious groups, which represents Southern Baptist, has nothing to say about same-sex marriage. I'm Leonita Inge, W-U-N-C News.