Gerri Smith: SB2 protects rights

The March 11 Point of View “The dressed-up bigotry of SB2” by Barbara Fedders misinformed the public for the following reasons:

▪ SB2 does not prevent same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is legal today in North Carolina.

▪ SB2 is not a violation of the civil rights of same-sex couples. It is First Amendment protection legislation.

▪ SB2 is constitutional under the U.S. Constitution (First Amendment) and under the North Carolina Constitution (Article I, Sec. 13).

▪ Magistrates are people who do not give up their unalienable rights just because they work for the government.

Fedders is wrong about SB2’s intent. Everyone’s rights matter.

The overturning of N.C. Amendment One and the ratification of SB2 are perfectly constitutional under U.S. and North Carolina law.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Gerri Smith: SB2 protects rights."