BREAKING NEWS! North Carolina Republicans File Bill Declaring All Same-Sex Marriages 'Null and Void'

Bill Could Cost Taxpayers $1 Million to Defend in Court, and a Nationwide Boycott Costing Billions if Signed Into Law

22 months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, North Carolina Republican lawmakers have filed a bill nullifying all marriages between people of the same-sex. The bill, which is unconstitutional, falsely invokes the 10th Amendment and claims the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over marriage. It also falsely claims the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over the Christian Bible.

The "Uphold Historical Marriage Act," known as HB780, says, "the ruling of the United States Supreme Court not only exceeds the authority of the Court relative to the State of North Carolina and a vote of the People of the State on an issue pertaining solely to the State of North Carolina and the People of North Carolina but also exceeds the authority of the Court relative to the decree of Almighty God."

It then quotes Genesis 2:24, "a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

HB780 "declares that the Obergefell v. Hodges decision of the United States Supreme Court of 2015 is null and void in the State of North Carolina." It also declares that marriages "whether created by common law, contracted, or performed outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in North Carolina."

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JUST IN: Republicans in North Carolina legislature file HB780 to defy Supreme Court's marriage ruling — says same-sex marriages “not valid."

4:59 PM - 11 Apr 2017

 
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The bill's primary sponsors are (photos, in order, above,) Rep. Larry Pittman, Rep. Michael Speciale, and Rep. Carl Ford.

Were the bill ever to become law, it would be declared unconstitutional, and the taxpayers in the State of North Carolina would have to pay court and attorneys fees, which easily could reach more than a million dollars.

The good citizens of the Tar Heel State might want to ask their elected officials, whose salaries, expenses, and generous per-diems they pay, how they have time to engage in such hate-filled and dangerous excursions.

NCRM spoke with Rep. Ford's office by phone and was told he was unavailable, they are aware of the bill, and could not offer comment.

N.C. GOP lawmakers want Supreme Court reinstate same-sex marriage ban

North Carolina legislative leaders say they’ll ask the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly hear their appeal seeking to reverse lower-court rulings that legalized gay marriage in the state.

Senate leader Phil Berger and likely House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday the two Republicans will ask the nation’s highest court to hear the North Carolina case before a lower appeals court in Richmond, Virginia.

Federal judges in Greensboro and Asheville ruled in October that the state constitution’s amendment banning gay marriage was unconstitutional.

The rulings came after the Supreme Court refused to hear a case that overturned Virginia’s similar ban.

Berger and former House Speaker Thom Tillis were allowed by the Greensboro federal judge to intervene. Attorney General Roy Cooper said all potential legal defenses are exhausted.

Anti-gay N.C. church members indicted on felony kidnapping, assault against gay man

Five members of an anti-LGBT church in Spindale, N.C., were indicted on several felony charges this week, following a complaint lodged by a young gay man who says church members kidnapped him and assaulted him because of his sexual orientation.

A grand jury indicted Justin Brock Covington, Brooke McFadden Covington, Robert Louis Walker Jr. and Adam Christopher Bartley on second degree kidnapping and simple assault charges. A fifth member, Sarah Covington Anderson, was indicted on second degree kidnapping as well as simple assault and assault by strangulation. The grand jury met on Monday, with indictment announcements released on Tuesday.

All are members of The Word of Faith Fellowship, a church which has continually come under fire for its alleged cult-like behaviors and severe treatment of members, particularly young people. In 1995, the church was the subject of an “Inside Edition” report on its “blasting” techniques, in which a person is encircled by church members and subjected to high-pitched shrilling sounds, screams and prayers. Blasting sessions can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

In this most recent case, 21-year-old student Matthew Fenner, a member of the church since age 16, alleges that several members targeted him because of his sexual orientation. On Jan. 29, 2013, Fenner says he was threatened with confinement for two days, slapped, strangled and verbally assaulted in an attempt, he says, to free him of “homosexual demons.”

Faith in America, a Taylorsville, N.C.-based LGBT advocacy group, has taken up Fenner’s cause.

They report in a press release: “Fenner said that at the time of the assault, he had a number of places on his back and neck that had been biopsied two weeks earlier for possible malignancy due to Fenner having cancer when he was a young boy. Fenner said members of the church who were involved with the assault ‘continued to grab at these spots resulting in much pain.’ He states in the affidavit that he believed he would have been severely beaten if he had admitted to any same-sex relations.”

Fenner has said it took several attempts — including several stalling tactics from local law enforcement and prosecutors — to get local officials to take his allegations seriously or allow him to file a formal complaint.

The church and the accused have said the allegations are not true.

“I knew it was a lie from the beginning,” Patrick Covington, a brother of one of the accused, told WLOS. “Because especially my sister is not capable of doing what he’s accusing her of doing.”

Patrick Covington told the news station he is also gay and left the church with Fenner, but he denies any abuse took place at the church.

Josh Farmer, an attorney for the church, has also denied the allegations.

“They are innocent of the charges leveled against them and we look forward to proving their innocence and to their complete vindication before a trial court,” Farmer said in a statement to WSPA. “We are adamant that no one ever physically harmed Mr. Fenner… The church does NOT target members who are gay.”

Affidavit reveals extreme abuse

An affidavit signed by Fenner and submitted with his complaint to local law enforcement reveals extreme abuse by several members of the church.

The National Organization for Marriage Just Threw Away $117,000

Frankly, we’re surprised to learn that the National Organization for Marriage even has $117,000 left to throw away on anything. But the facts are these: NOM just gave a huge chunk of cash to support the election of Thom Tillis, a bigot from North Carolina.

Tillis was largely responsible for NC’s now-overturned marriage ban. He’s currently a member of the state House of Representatives, and he’s running for Senate. (The election’s on Tuesday! Tell your friends in NC to vote, and remind them that Kay Hagan supports the freedom to marry!)

Why are we so sure that this money is a waste? Well, even if Tillis wins his election, NOM still doesn’t get anything out of it. Oh sure, their friend gets to hang onto power; and they’ll have defeated a nice lady who believes that gays should be treated equally. But they still won’t be able to stop marriage.

Look, NOM, North Carolina’s marriage ban is gone. For good. It’s over. It’s unconstitutional, the Attorney General hasn’t been willing to defend it since this summer, and no one is going to be able to halt the weddings now that they’ve started. You’re not going to be able to pull a Prop 8 here, since federal courts have already determined that banning marriage for gays is unconstitutional.

We’re used to NOM wasting money on long-shot court cases that they can’t possibly win, like in Oregon. But there’s something particularly pathetic about them wasting money in states where they’ve conclusively lost.

Of course, it’s their money, so they’re free to waste it however they want. We just wouldn’t want to have to explain any of this to their donors.

DIRTY POLITICS: Koch-Allied Group Urges Young Voters to Support Weed Candidate

Thom Tillis

A Republican group connected to the billionaire Koch brothers is making a last-ditch effort to push the GOP Senate candidate in North Carolina across the finish line by urging young voters to get behind the marijuana-supporting libertarian in the race.

The American Future Fund, which is running the online ad campaign, touts third-party contender Sean Haugh as the only one in the Senate contest who supports legalizing marijuana and opposes war.

The move aims to siphon liberal support from Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, who is locked in one of the country's tightest Senate races again Republican challenger Thom Tillis. (The ad might also persuade conservatives, many of whom generally wouldn't support the ads' message, to stop supporting Haugh.)

It appears to have been launched in secret. The group's website and Twitter feed, which contain news releases about other ad campaigns, does not mention the efforts to help Haugh. 

A spokesman for the group says the digital buy is for $225,000, and the group could increase the buy later. The ad appeared to one reporter while watching Hulu, and the group has built a makeshift website that includes several different online spots.

The content of the ads is likely to get as much attention as the campaign itself: In one, it features a young woman who says Hagan "doesn't share our values" because she supports war and opposes legalizing marijuana.

"Vote Sean Haugh," she says. "He supports our progressive values. Pro-legalization, pro-environment. More weed, less war."

The spot finishes with an image of a single cannabis leaf. Another ad features a young man wearing a shirt with a picture of Bob Marley smoking a joint.

Haugh, who still works as a pizza delivery-man while running for the Senate seat, has received a lot of coverage for drawing an unusually large amount of support for an underfunded candidacy. Interestingly though, his presence is seen as a bigger problem for the Republican Tillis, who has trialed in most public surveys of the race.

AFF appears to be trying to make Haugh a dilemma for Hagan as well, although it's unclear how effective a digital ad campaign will be in a race that has already featured more than $100 million in TV ad buys alone.

The Fitting Memorial To Marriage Equality On Jesse Helms’ Tombstone

Jesse Helms’ casket might as well be on a rotisserie, because he’s spinning in his grave right now. Last Friday, a federal judge in North Carolina cleared the way for marriage equality in the state that the late Senator served so ignobly. Good thing that Helms, who called us “weak, morally sick wretches,” wasn’t alive to see it, because it would have killed him.

However, someone with a fine sense of poetic justice decided to send a message to Jesse in the great beyond. (We won’t speculate just where that might be.) Propped up against Helms’ tombstone was a newspaper heralding the advent of same-sex weddings in the state. We bet that Helms never expected to see that on his tombstone.

And just in case you think Helms is a relic of the past, here’s a reminder that he’s not. Sen. Ted Cruz,the beloved of the Tea Party, has said that “we need 100 more like Jesse Helms.” Apparently, that old time homophobia just won’t die.

North Carolina GOP leaders hire NOM chairman to help block gay marriages

As same-sex couples in North Carolina await federal court rulings they hope will allow them to get married, Republican legislative leaders made a last-minute move Thursday to block or delay the nuptials.

AP

John Eastman

House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger filed a motion seeking to intervene in legal challenges to the state’s gay marriage ban approved by voters in 2012. They also asked for a one-week delay to file additional documents.

The GOP legislators have hired California lawyer John C. Eastman, chairman of the conservative National Organization for Marriage.

Berger spokeswoman Shelly Carver said Eastman has agreed to forgo his first $10,000 in legal fees. After that, he will be paid $400 an hour.

American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina legal director Chris Brook criticized the move as a waste of taxpayer funds.

“The legislature has had more than a year to intervene in this matter if they felt their interests were not adequately represented, and failed to do so,” said Brook, who represents nine same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry and adopt children. “The result here is no longer in doubt. … The legislature should quit playing politics by seeking to defend the indefensible.”

Tillis, who is running for U.S. Senate, said in a debate earlier this week he felt obligated to defend the will of North Carolina voters against “liberal activist judges” appointed by President Barack Obama.

The recent rulings striking down gay marriage bans across the nation as unconstitutional have been handed down by federal judges appointed by presidents from both parties. While North Carolina’s prohibition remains popular with religiously conservative voters, recent polls show increasing support and acceptance for same-sex marriage.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen Jr. in Greensboro, an appointee of President George W. Bush, appears ready to strike down North Carolina’s ban after issuing an order Wednesday lifting his stays and dismissing all motions in the two cases he oversees. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democrat, ended the state’s defense of the ban after concluding all possible legal defenses have been exhausted.

The ACLU filed a request seeking a quick ruling after the U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it would not hear appeals to lower court rulings striking down similar marriage bans in other states. Osteen has delayed making a decision since July, when Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban was struck down by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. That court has jurisdiction over North Carolina and its decision is binding on Osteen.

In a third challenge filed by members of the clergy seeking to marry gay couples, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger in Asheville removed himself from the case Thursday, transferring it to District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr.

Tillis and Berger plan to file a motion to intervene in that case, as well.

“This threatened eleventh hour effort to intervene is strange, to say the least,” said Jake Sussman, a Charlotte lawyer representing the religious groups. “We are close to the end of this litigation and ready to banish Amendment One to the dustpan of history. We believe this is an unnecessary use of taxpayer money and judicial resources and seeks only to delay the inevitable”.

Tillis and Berger are currently not party to any of the lawsuits. They will need to file motions with Osteen and Cogburn seeking to intervene, while the judges would have to rule to give them standing.

Sussman and Brook said they will oppose efforts by Tillis and Berger to intervene.

CLAY AIKEN FIGHTS FOR FIRST PLACE DURING NC SECOND DISTRICT DEBATE

Good ole' Clay Aiken! The openly gay American Idol runner-up fought his way through a debate Monday night with North Carolina second district representative (and opponent) Renee Ellmers. Ellmers has reportedly attempted to tie together Aiken and President Obama's beliefs in an attempt to win her congressional seat once again this November, but Aiken was not having it. 

ABC News reports:

“This Obama-Aiken economy is just killing us,” Ellmers said.

“You might need to get a new writer because calling it the Obama-Aiken economy is just preposterous,” Aiken responded.

According to Talking Points Memo, Aiken recently spoke with The New York Times about the very same topic, stating that there are "certainly areas where I disagree with [Obama]." Still, Ellmers kept digging, this time alluding to Aiken's vocal prowess and showmanship while discussing the U.S. military.

“It's almost as if as an entertainer, you believe that you can just go in with a song and dance and change the mind of the military leaders,” she said.

Aiken's priceless retort?

“The most embarrassing reality show in the country right now is Congress,” he said.

Good on you, Mr. Aiken!

Let's just hope that his pseudo-fame can make a difference. According to past elections, he has an uphill battle: President Obama lost there by over 10 percentage points in both 2008 and 2012.

BUSTED: Wealthy North Carolina Republican Nailed for Welfare Fraud!

A North Carolina state senator has just cemented his re-election bid by proving that welfare queens do exist — because he is one. While this will likely be written off as a liberal plot to destroy Wesley Meredith, documents have surfaced showing that he and his former wife applied for Medicaid and food stamp benefits in the 1990s — while the politician was pulling in a six-figure salary.

His opponent Billy Richardson, over whom Meredith enjoys a hefty lead in the polls, released a load of Meredith’s public and private financial and public assistance documents, according to ABC 11 — all showing that he and his former wife Elizabeth Meredith received public assistance while pulling in an income most dream of.

Cumberland County GOP chair Linda Devore said the party is awaiting a refutation of the claims. “These are serious matters, and we expect that Senator Meredith will be considerate of the impact of the issues raised by these allegations on the women, children, and families in our community, by addressing them completely and without delay,” Devore said in a Wednesday statement.

Devore said that if the allegations are true, the party expects him to repay the stolen funds. “Should the allegations prove true, we will call on Senator Meredith to accept responsibility, repay the funds, and apologize to the taxpayers of this county and state,” Devore said. “However, if Senator Meredith is being falsely accused for political purposes, we challenge voters to hold his opponent, Mr. Richardson, responsible.”

“The public deserves to learn the truth from men asking for our trust. Character and integrity matter, and our families deserve to know that those elected to represent them share their values,” Devore added.

The North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus called Richardson’s revelation”desperate and despicable” and has already jumped on the opportunity to defend its hero. “The only thing surprising about Billy Richardson’s wild accusations is that he didn’t stand on his desk and hurl them at the media. Less than 24 hours after the first public poll in this race showed him trailing by an insurmountable, double-digit margin, Richardson decided to drive his campaign into the gutter – the same place where he’s spent much of his professional and political career,” said the group.

While the GOP defends Meredith, his ex-wife says the allegations are true. “Wesley and I went to DSS and applied for Medicaid,” she said in a statement. “I did not become aware of any potential wrongdoing until my domestic attorney later brought it to my attention many years ago,” she said.

Black LGBT activist arrested after distributing literature on voter’s rights

A black LGBT rights activist and former state Senate candidate was arrested in North Carolina Monday for distributing literature on voting rights.

Police say Ty Turner violated a city ordinance by distributing the leaflets on parked cars.

Turner was flyering the cars as part of an event held in response to the state’s history of racial profiling and violating voter’s rights.

Turner told Think Progress: “They said they would charge me for distributing literature.”

“I asked [the officer] for the ordinance number [I was violating], because they can’t put handcuffs on you if they cannot tell you why they’re detaining you.

“I said, ‘Show me where it’s illegal to do this.’ But he would not do it.

“The officer got mad and grabbed me. Then he told me that I was resisting arrest.”

Turner says police took him to three different spots other than jail after arresting him, including an empty parking lot.

He told ThinkProgress: “They knew they were in the wrong.”

Turner was not charged with any crime and was released from custody after being given a citation soon after his arrest.

Turner is openly gay and campaigned for Senate with a platform endorsing equality and inclusion for LGBT North Carolinians.

Watch a video Turner took of his arrest below:

North Carolina Restaurant Says No To PFLAG Fundraiser Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz39FjyML2c

A North Carolina pizza restaurant has received heavy criticism for refusing to host a fundraiser for the local Gaston County chapter of PFLAG, something it has done repeatedly for other organizations in the past.

According to the Gaston Gazette, Doug Rogers, owner of Johnny B’s Pizza Pad, claims he was not being discriminatory:

“I think everyone on our planet is entitled to happiness,” Rogers said Thursday. “It’s not my decision to determine how to live your life. I’m just making a business decision not to host that organization here because I feel like it’s not a good business decision.”

However, the PFLAG chapter's president, Ginger Feimster, says she spoke to Rogers herself and he was distinctly more blunt with her.

“He said he just couldn’t do it because of his personal feelings,” she said. “He said, ‘I just don’t approve of that lifestyle, and I’m not doing anything to support it.’”

Rogers has also allegedly deleted many critical comments on the restaurant's Facebook page.

A PFLAG Gaston board member suggested that his actions might affect Johnny B’s Pizza Pad in the future:

“I think it’s extremely disheartening in today’s world and today’s reality,” he said. “I don’t think he was thinking clearly or understood what he was doing will have broader implications. I know there are a lot of us who will not patronize his business now.”

On the bright side, Rogers has agreed to attend a PFLAG summer theater production this weekend at a local Episcopal Church. The PFLAG chapter has been active in Gaston County since 2009.

NC Attorney General Says He'll No Longer Defend State's Gay Marriage Ban Following 4th Circuit Virginia Ruling

North Carolina's Attorney General Roy Cooper said today that he would no longer defend the state's gay marriage ban following the Virginia ruling from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the News Observer reports:

Cooper said that in light of the decision it would be “futile” to continue arguing the North Carolina’s case against same-sex marriage.

“I have concluded that the state of North Carolina will not oppose the cases moving forward,” Cooper said before a bank of television cameras at his office in downtown Raleigh. “… Our office believes the judges in North Carolina are bound by this 4th Circuit decision.”

Four cases are currently challenging North Carolina's ban on gay marriage. Cooper's decision will not immediately affect NC, the paper says, because no judge has ruled there, but it does pave the way for further equality rulings.

Added Cooper: “Our attorneys have vigorously argued this case every step of the way … There are really no arguments left to be made.”

North Carolina Charter School Bill Drops Protections For LGBT Students

Last Friday, new legislation was approved by the North Carolina House of Representatives that fails to provide protections for LGBTI students at charter schools run by for-profit management companies, reports NC Policy Watch.

Senate Bill 793 prevents charter schools from discriminating on the basis of “ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability” but fails to provide specific protections for LGBT students.

The bill, which also allows charter schools to keep employees’ salaries secret, included protections for LGBT students in earlier versions.

Democrat Rep. Marcus Brandon, who is the only openly LGBT member of the North Carolina General Assembly, had argued that the LGBT community is not a protected class in North Carolina. This prompted the need for a previous amendment that drew on language from federal law, which was eventually stripped in a conference committee.

The Senate must act on the bill before it goes to the Governor.

Last month, during a debate on Senate Bill 793, North Carolina Republican Representative Paul Stam compared pedophilia, incest, masochism and other illegal sexual practices with homosexuality.

North Carolina Republican Paul Stam Compares Pedophilia, Masochism With Homosexuality

In a debate Tuesday, North Carolina Republican Representative Paul Stam compared pedophilia, incest, masochism and other illegal sexual practices with homosexuality.

In 2011, Stam compared homosexuality with polygamy and incest while calling for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

During a debate Tuesday on a proposal to prevent charter schools from discrimination based on sexual orientation, Stam suggested that, like homosexuality, adult sexual attraction to children is a sexual orientation.

Stam passed out a two-page paper at the debate titled “What is Sexual Orientation?” which listed what he said were 30 different sexual orientations. He argued that the definition of sexual orientation should be narrowed, otherwise it would include pedophilia, incest, sadism and masochism along with homosexuality and heterosexuality.

The list was taken from the American Psychological Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” which actually classified many of the definitions as disorders at one time and in 2013 said “pedophilia is a mental disorder; that sex between adults and children is always wrong; and that acting on pedophilic impulses is and should be a criminal act.”

Of Stam’s list, Democratic Representative Tricia Cotham stated:

“This is shameful. He needs to understand that his words and his actions are offensive and cannot be tolerated.”

The House approved the changes to the charter school law, removing a provision prohibiting charter schools from discriminating against applications on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender or disability.

Stam said later he was only trying to get the author of the amendment to define sexual orientation.

Keith Crisco, Clay Aiken's Opponent in NC Congressional Primary, Dies Suddenly

Keith Crisco, who was locked in a North Carolina congressional race with Clay Aiken died at his home on Monday, WGHP reports:

Reports suggest he suffered injuries from a fall at his home on Thayer Drive in Asheboro around 1 p.m. Monday. Crisco was dead when emergency services arrived at the scene, City Manager John Ogburn confirmed.

The District 2 race was considered “too close to call,” but Aiken lead Crisco by 369 votes.

Crisco released a statement on Wednesday saying he was not yet ready to concede.

“This election is still very tight,” he said. “I want the elections’ officials to have an opportunity to tally the votes and provide a report on their canvass activities to allow all the campaigns a chance to see the final numbers. This has been a great campaign and I am very appreciative of my supporters and the hard work that the county boards of elections are doing at this time.”

The NC GOP released a statement:

“We are incredibly shocked and saddened to hear about Keith Crisco’s sudden passing. Keith was an accomplished businessman and public servant with a sterling reputation and a tremendous amount of respect from North Carolinians across the partisan spectrum. Keith, like my father, served the state as Commerce Secretary with dignity and humility, and also like my father, passed away well before his time. Keith’s family is in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”

UPDATE: Aiken released a statement:

"I am stunned and deeply saddened by Keith Crisco's death. Keith came from humble beginnings. No matter how high he rose to Harvard, to the White House and to the Governor's Cabinet he never forgot where he came from. He was a gentleman, a good and honorable man and an extraordinary public servant. I was honored to know him. I am suspending all campaign activities as we pray for his family and friends."

NORTH CAROLINA: Anti-Gay GOP State Senate Candidate Is Former Drag Queen

North Carolina GOP state Senate candidate Steve Wiles is campaigning on a platform in support of his state's ban on same-sex marriage. What he is notcampaigning on is that he once performed in a Winston-Salem gay nightclub as Miss Mona Sinclair.

Wiles, 34, was in his early 20s when he worked at the now-defunct nightclub, Club Odyssey, according to co-owner Randy Duggins and former employee Gray Tomlinson. “He is Mona Sinclair,” Duggins said, referring to Wiles’ female persona. Wiles’ responses over the past three weeks have ranged from categorical denial to tacit admission. “I have already apologized to the people who matter most to me for the things I did when I was young,” Wiles said this week, declining to clarify for what he has apologized. The comment was made in the last of three separate interviews. At first, Wiles denied the claim. “That’s not me,” Wiles said three weeks ago, referring to Mona Sinclair. Wiles responded “no” when asked whether he was gay. This week, Wiles’ campaign website, Facebook page and Twitter handle were taken down.

The Winston-Salem Journal notes that Wiles not only served as Club Odyssey's drag show emcee in 2001 and 2002, he was a promoter of the 2011 Miss Gay America pageant until he was suspended for "conduct unbecoming the pageant." A pageant official has declined to disclose what that conduct was. In 2012 Wiles stumped for the successful passage of Amendment One, which enshrined anti-gay bigotry into the state constitution. While his campaign website has been taken down, his personal Facebook page is full of Tea Party rants about gun rights and includes several photos of Wiles posing with notoriously homophobic Rep. Virginia Foxx at a "Taking Back Our Freedom" rally.

(Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

UPDATE: This afternoon Wiles posted a message on his Facebook page. 

I'm sure many of you saw my glowing recommendation in the Winston Salem Journal - I'd like to apologize to everyone because, unlike the currently appointed NC Senator in District 31, I made mistakes. My job was embarrassing - I had to have a job! Nobody died, leaving me a millionaire capable of living in North Carolina's most expensive neighborhood. One thing I will say, I learned from my mistakes - the Republican party, under the leadership of Scott Cumbie who threatened me with my past if I ran against an incumbent Republican, seem intent to fight within the party and join in the fight with every bigot and racist they can find. I understand the gay community does not share my support for the Marriage Amendment - I RESPECT THAT and am very happy to discuss my views with any of my friends in the Democrat party and gay community. Meanwhile, I regret the fact that something so trivial would cloud an otherwise decent campaign....What more could be expected though? When policy fails, attacks begin.

School will allow boy to bring My Little Pony backpack

Grayson Bruce's My Little Pony backpack will return, and with it may come new initiatives to prevent bullying in local schools.

Buncombe County Schools administrators met Thursday with the mother of Grayson Bruce, the 9-year-old boy who was propelled into the national spotlight this week after saying he was prevented from carrying his "My Little Pony" backpack to school because administrators told him it "triggered bullying."

Noreen Bruce also said Thursday that she would work with the school system to send Grayson back to Candler Elementary, after pulling him out last week following the incident.

"We are considering all options for getting Grayson back in school," Bruce said after the meeting. "We are pleased the school system is working closely with us. All of the options include Grayson taking his My Little Pony bag to school."

The story has gone viral over the past several days, attracting the attention of national news outlets and more than 65,000 Facebook supporters rallying behind the #SupportforGrayson hashtag.

Bruce met with superintendent Tony Baldwin and director of student services David Thompson, after which she said she felt "much better."

"We had a real heart-to-heart talk," Bruce said. "I strongly feel we can work together to make things better for Grayson and all the students in our school system."

Bruce said she will work with Thompson to help organize a parent advisory council on bullying.

"It's been a whirlwind," Bruce said. "We appreciate all the support from the bottom of our hearts. That outpouring of love from everyone has been unbelievable and has given us the opportunity to shine a light on the different kinds of hurts kids experience at school."

Bruce has made several national media appearances in the last 48 hours, including the Glenn Beck show in Dallas and an interview with "Good Morning America."

Boy Reportedly Told Not To Wear My Little Pony Backpack To Class

A North Carolina mother says her 9-year-old son was told he couldn't wear his backpack of choice to school.

Noreen Bruce said officials at Buncombe County Schools recently told her son, Grayson, that he was not allowed to wear his My Little Pony backpack because it was a “trigger for bullying,” according to local outlet WLOS-TV. Grayson had been facing verbal and physical attacks from tormentors who called the backpack “girly.”

Grayson would like to keep wearing the backpack, but district officials told WLOS-TV they made a decision to “immediately address a situation that had created a disruption in the classroom." Full story and video here via HuffPost!

Moral March on Raleigh draws tens of thousands

Protesting against the regressive laws passed by extremists in the General Assembly last year, upwards of 80,000 people marched on the state capitol Saturday morning, according to the march’s logistics and planning experts. Called the Moral March on Raleigh, the event’s multiracial, inter-generational crowd also advanced an agenda for moral and constitutional public policy.

Convened by the North Carolina NAACP and more than 160 partner organizations in the Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People’s Coalition, the march was the largest gathering in the South since the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. It also marked the eighth annual convening of the HKonJ People’s Coalition, bringing together diverse voices from the civil rights, faith-based, labor, student, women’s rights, environmental protection, LGBT and immigrant justice communities.

“We are black, white, Latino, Native American,” said Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the NC NAACP and convener of HKonJ. “We are Democrat, Republican, independent. We are people of all faiths, and people not of faith but who believe in a moral universe. We are natives and immigrants, business leaders and workers and unemployed, doctors and the uninsured, gay and straight, students and parents and retirees. We stand here–a quilt of many colors, faiths, and creeds.”

This year’s assembly built off momentum that the Forward Together Moral Movement set in motion last year with more than 30 “Moral Mondays” demonstrations against the General Assembly’s regressive agenda.

“Every major faith tradition lifts up the high standard of justice,” said Dr. Barber, further citing the U.S. and North Carolina State Constitutions for underscoring government that is vested in the good of the whole. “When we look at these high standards for North Carolina and for America, we must declare there are those who have chosen to live, govern, and act mighty low. In policy and politics, we face two choices: One is the low road to destruction, and the other is a pathway to higher ground.

… Those of us who love freedom and justice are being called to take this state and nation from the low lands of injustice and division to higher ground.”

To get there, the NC NAACP has designed a “5-M” grassroots mobilization plan to motivate every citizen to fight against these extremist policies; meet every challenge to suppress the right to vote; mobilize all North Carolinians to the polls regardless of party affiliation; make every effort to fight in the courts against voter suppression and for the restoration of the Voting Rights Act; and move every obstacle that could keep people from voting.

Clay Aiken's Would-Be GOP Opponent Renee Ellmers Already Using Homophobic Rhetoric Against Him

Clay Aiken, who officially announed his intention to run for Congress and challenge Rep. Renee Ellmers in North Carolina, is already being attacked by Ellmers with familiar homophobic rhetoric, Think Progress reports.

Ellmers released a statement linking Aiken to San Francisco (you know, where the radical gays hang out):

“It speaks volumes to the state of the N.C. Democratic Party that the primary is shaping up to be a choice between the failed Perdue Administration’s Keith Crisco, a lawyer who doesn’t even live in the district, an activist who’s (sic) own party rejected her in the last democrat primary – and Aiken, a performer whose political views more closely resemble those of San Francisco than Sanford,” Ellmers spokeswoman Jessica Wood wrote in an email. “Renee best represents the values of the voters in the 2nd District and remains focused on fighting for their families.”

The remarks were immediately denounced by the former executive director of the NC Republican party, who called them "offensive and childish".

Zack Ford notes that Ellmers has a consistently anti-gay record:

She opposed North Carolina’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage because it also banned civil unions, but she still opposes same-sex marriage. She has supported bills to limit the religious freedom of military chaplains to officiate same-sex marriages and endorsed efforts to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.