http://news.yahoo.com/north-carolina-voters-approve-amendment-banning-gay-marriage-015010138.html

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - North Carolina voters on Tuesday approved a state constitutional amendment
that bans same-sex marriage and civil unions, major media projected,
dealing a blow to efforts across the United States to expand gay marriage rights.
The amendment,
which says marriage between a man and a woman is the only legally
recognized domestic union in the state, passed by a wide margin. With
half of the counties' results at least partially reported, about 61
percent of votes backed the amendment.
North Carolina law
already blocks gay and lesbian couples from marrying, but the state now
joins the rest of states in the Southeast in adding the prohibition to
its constitution.
Twenty-eight states have voter-approved constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.


Massachusetts,
Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York and the District of
Columbia allow gay and lesbian nuptials.
Maryland, New Jersey
and Washington state have passed laws this year approving same-sex
marriage, but Governor Chris Christie vetoed New Jersey's law and
opponents in Maryland and Washington are threatening ballot initiatives
to overturn those laws.
The vote in North Carolina followed statements by senior officials of President Barack Obama's administration this week which were interpreted as supporting gay marriage.


Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday he was "absolutely comfortable" with allowing same-sex couples to wed, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan said gay marriage should be legal.


Obama has said he favors civil unions but has stopped short of supporting gay marriage.


Supporters of the amendment in North Carolina, a swing
state in the November 6 presidential election, said it would preserve
the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and make laws
forbidding gay marriage harder to repeal.
Opponents said a ban would jeopardize health insurance
benefits for unmarried gay and heterosexual couples and signal that the
state is unfriendly to a diverse workforce.
Former Democratic President Bill Clinton recorded a
call just ahead of the vote urging North Carolinians to reject the
proposed amendment.
"It won't change North Carolina's law on marriage," he said in a message sponsored by the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families.
"What it will change is North Carolina's ability to keep good
businesses, attract new jobs and attract and keep talented
entrepreneurs."