Same-sex marriage supporters will hold vigils across North Carolina and the rest of the country on Tuesday, including a Triangle event in Raleigh. The vigils coincide with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Prop. 8.
The California proposition amended that state’s constitution to recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the only valid marriage. Voters in North Carolina approved a similar amendment last May.
Tuesday’s event in Raleigh will be a one-hour candlelight vigil in front of the Wake County courthouse on Fayetteville Street, featuring speakers and music. Scheduled speakers include Raleigh City Councilwoman Mary-Ann Baldwin, state Rep. Marcus Brandon, and former Methodist minister Jimmy Creech.
It’s being organized by Equality N.C., which led the fight against the constitutional amendment.
There are opposing opinions on what impact a Supreme Court ruling would have on the law in North Carolina and other states that ban same-sex marriage.
