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North Carolina Senate passes opt-out measure for officials opposed to gay marriage
Source: Reuters
North Carolina Senate passes opt-out measure for officials opposed to gay marriage
BY MARTI MAGUIRE
RALEIGH, N.C. Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:43pm EST
(Reuters) - The North Carolina state Senate voted on Wednesday to allow government officials to refuse to marry same-sex couples without fear of being fired, adding a new twist to the gay marriage debate in a region where such unions have faced strong opposition.
North Carolina, which began allowing gay marriages last year to comply with a federal court order, had banned same-sex matrimony in a 2012 referendum. It is among 37 states where gay marriage is legal.
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In North Carolina, some of the civil officers who perform marriages, known as magistrates, threatened to resign rather than perform unions that ran counter to their religious beliefs.
While the bill does not mention gay marriage explicitly, it allows employees to recuse themselves from performing marriages by citing a "sincerely held religious objection."
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
BY MARTI MAGUIRE
RALEIGH, N.C. Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:43pm EST
(Reuters) - The North Carolina state Senate voted on Wednesday to allow government officials to refuse to marry same-sex couples without fear of being fired, adding a new twist to the gay marriage debate in a region where such unions have faced strong opposition.
North Carolina, which began allowing gay marriages last year to comply with a federal court order, had banned same-sex matrimony in a 2012 referendum. It is among 37 states where gay marriage is legal.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
In North Carolina, some of the civil officers who perform marriages, known as magistrates, threatened to resign rather than perform unions that ran counter to their religious beliefs.
While the bill does not mention gay marriage explicitly, it allows employees to recuse themselves from performing marriages by citing a "sincerely held religious objection."
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/25/us-usa-gaymarriage-north-carolina-idUSKBN0LT2OU20150225
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