North Carolina passed an amendment today to its existing ban on gay marriage, ensuring that only “domestic legal unions” between one male and one female will be considered valid by the state. 60% of North Carolina’s population voted in favor of the bill, with counties that hold a higher number of college graduates generally voting against.

As always, the vague wording of the bill accounts for the outrage surrounding it – many believe that the amendment will nullify domestic partnership protections for all same-sex unions, while eliminating the possibility for couples to get married in the state in the future.

Though support for gay marriage is growing slowly even within the GOP (70% of adults age 18 – 34 support the legalization of gay marriage), and with same-sex marriage laws being voted on in states like Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington in this coming November, it remains to be seen whether or not conservatives will continue to bar civil-rights for same-sex couples as they have in the past. If North Carolina’s amendment was any indicator of future voting trends within the party, though, then prospects look slim. Read more…