A monumental step for LGBTQ+ rights
North Carolina has finally given domestic violence protections to LGBTQ+ couples in a massive appeal court decision.
The ruling was made on Thursday.
Linda McGee, the chief judge of Court of Appeals, released a statement on the decision saying: “By telling Plaintiff that her existence is not as valuable as that of individuals who engage in ‘opposite-sex’ relationships, the State is not just needlessly endangering Plaintiff, it is expressing State-sanctioned animus towards her.”
Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein also praised the significant decision.
“A big win for equality in NC! all people are equal no matter if you are straight or gay. Today, the NC Court of Appeals recognized that truth and that the NC and US constitutions guarantee it,” Stein says.
BREAKING: A big win for equality in NC! All people are equal no matter if you are straight or gay. Today, the NC Court of Appeals recognized that truth and that the NC and US constitutions guarantee it. 1/
— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) December 31, 2020
Gov. Cooper called the decision win for the “fight against domestic violence in North Carolina.”
“State laws should protect everyone equally, including our LGBTQ community, and this ruling makes that clear,” he said.
Gov. Cooper’s statement on the Court of Appeals ruling in the M.E. v T.J. case: pic.twitter.com/hL63Q4zh3N
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) December 31, 2020
North Carolina was the only state in the U.S. that didn’t provide these protections to same-sex couples who were not married.
The decision was made after a case involving a former lesbian couple was brought before a Wake County judge.
In the case, one of the women requested a domestic violence protection order but was denied by the judge due to the previous state law.
Another win for the LGBTQ+ community!
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