North Carolina voters have voted to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman, making the state the 30th to prohibit gay marriage in this way.
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The Huffington Post reports:
With 35 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, unofficial returns showed the amendment passing with about 58 percent of the vote to 42 percent against.
In the final days before the vote, members of President Barack Obama's cabinet expressed support for gay marriage and former President Bill Clinton recorded phone messages urging voters to reject the amendment …
Meanwhile, supporters ran their own ad campaigns and church leaders urged Sunday congregations to vote for the amendment. The Rev. Billy Graham, who at 93 remains influential even though his last crusade was in 2005, was featured in full-page newspaper ads supporting the amendment.
Read more at the Huffington Post.
Read The Root's editor-at-large Nsenga Burton's take on the effect of the amendment on gay and straight couples as well as children here.
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