By Sara Pequeno
The News & Observer
The final words of the North Carolina Constitution are not about the beauty of the state, or the liberty of its people. Instead, it reads: “. . . marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
Despite the fact that a federal judge overturned the same-sex marriage ban in 2014 and the Supreme Court legalized it nationwide in 2015, a homophobic clause approved in 2012 has yet to be repealed.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson recently reminded queer North Carolinians that some state politicians still don’t plan on supporting LGBTQ residents any time soon. A June video recently surfaced in which he said “there’s no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling children about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.”
He has doubled and tripled down on his comments and says that his message has been changed from focusing on “education.” Despite these claims, the watchdog group that shared the first video recently posted a new one to social media from August, where he calls the trans movement “the spirit of Antichrist.”
Like with Amendment One in 2012, or HB2 IN 2016, or the recent slew of transphobic bills filed in the General Assembly, the remarks should be treated as more than just the usual political pandering; for queer and trans North Carolinians, these words from a man in power to incite others in their community to say the same things, or to act on their hate.
Three queer women in the state House of Representatives held a press conference Tuesday to offer reassurances to the people who will be most affected by Robinson’s remarks.
“We’re here today for the queer student who woke up on the first day of school terrified of leaving their home,” Representative Vernetta Alston (D-30) said, “or the LFBTQ elder who went back in the closet at their retirement community, or the 42 percent of transgender youth who have considered suicide.”
Robinson’s hate has not been condemned by any N.C. Republicans in office, and the three queer state representatives said none have reached out to them privately. Representative Allison Dahle (D-11) got choked up as she explained why the trio didn’t immediately make public statements.
“It took a lot of processing,” Dahle says. “When you live in a place where you’re pointed out as something not good, it’s really hard to process that.”
North Carolina has not banned sexuality and gender-based discrimination statewide, nor has it banned conversion therapy. North Carolina does not require public school education to include any information about same-sex relationships, and the state requires reproductive health and safety instruction to include that “a mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship is the best lifelong means of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.”
Concessions have been made (municipalities can enact anti-discrimination clauses, and public funds can’t be spent on conversion therapy) but nothing has created blanket protection for the 319,000 LGBTQ adults in North Carolina.
These beliefs are harmful. Policies like the amendment to the state constitution are harmful. Robinson’s words are harmful. But what’s most harmful is how they lead North Carolina’s LGBTQ community to live in fear if allies do not act.
(This is reprinted in honor of my cousin, my best friend as a child, Spike also known as Albert Lewis Williams, who flew to San Francisco to explore his sexuality rather than enrolling in college and who later found happiness, companionship and friends in Guam. His parents and family always loved him as did I. Carol Pelosi)
6 Responses
QUOTE: “Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson recently reminded queer North Carolinians that some state politicians still don’t plan on supporting LGBTQ residents any time soon. A June video recently surfaced in which he said “there’s no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling children about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.”
This is a key paragraph in this article isn’t it?
So my questions to the author and readers are twofold and surround the question of what does supporting the LGBTQ community entail. First, does “supporting LGBTQ residents” mean supporting the distribution and teaching the content of books showing sexual acts between children to middle schoolers (and below in some locals) constitute supporting the LGBTQ community? Because if that is the case then something is really off. If these books were depicting heterosexual activity they would still be wrong in school. Talking about our differences need not entail pornography and “how-to” instruction on engaging in sex acts. It does entail understanding the feelings and sensitivities of others.
Secondly, does “supporting LGBTQ residents” mean not calling such books filth. My argument is the same. If we are going to respect one another we needn’t reduce our beliefs to just the depiction of sexual acts. I don’t think my LGBTQ friends would agree that being apart of the LGBTQ community means demeaning themselves (making out their life choices to boil down to just the act of sex) just to make a point about a politician. If our differences do just boil down to our choice of sex acts, then this culture is on a corrupt slide toward complete divisiveness, among other things.
The author takes an event where the Lt. Gov. condemns pornographic cartoon books being used to teach sex act acceptance to minors in school, an act many people see (especially at that age) as grooming children for a desired behavioral outcome by depicting pornography of children as normal. So please let us not demean each other by saying pornography is needed to respect one another.
Sara Pequeno just seems to be grinding an axe that has been worked on for hundreds of years. Not productive discussion of how we get along, just more incitement to outrage.
Whether you agree with Mr. Robinson or not, is it not okay to have an opinion these days?
No matter what life you choose, some will approve and some won’t. Trying to teach that only one point of view exists is wrong.
I have no issue with discussing sexual orientation, gender identification or anything else in school. Understanding different lifestyles is something we all should do.
However, expecting everyone to step in line with one thought is unrealistic. People are going to have differing opinions.
Some people are okay with LGBTQ lifestyles and some are not. While I may not agree with Mr. Robinson’s statements, I will defend his right to say them as many people in North Carolina agree with him, and that is their right to do so.
I do not understand the current climate of, “If you disagree with me, you must be terminated.” It is getting out of hand on all sides.
Thanks to Lt Gov Robinson for speaking the truth.
Very important perspective, thank you Sara and Carol! Health classes, psychology classes, American history classes- all of these are taught in schools, and none of these can be taught without discussing sexual orientation. It would do the curriculum a disservice, as well as all of us, if we hope for a full, diverse education that prepares us for the “real world”. (not to mention it’s simply bigoted and harmful)
Homosexuality is a perversion of God’s creation. Every person walking the earth today was born of a woman. That the perversion of homosexuality has existed from the beginning of time does not make it normal or moral. The perversion agenda includes many unspeakable things…that are not only spoken but promoted across all forms of media and even taught in schools. I support Lt Governor Robinson and have told him so. Do right till the stars fall; do right till the last call. Do right though you are all alone. Do right! Do right!
I have approved Mr. Ostergard’s comments because I believe in the freedom of speech while I strongly disagree with his unfounded opinions.
Carol W. Pelosi