A lesbian was arrested for seeking a marriage licence in North Carolina on Thursday (10 May).

She was arrested after refusing to leave a government building in protest over the passage of Amendment One in the US state.

Mary Jamis of Mocksville, and her heterosexual friend Mary Lea Bradford of Winston-Salem, were arrested after joining nine couples looking for a marriage licence.

The couples presented completed forms and identification to a clerk at the local Register of Deeds office.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue thinks this week's Amendment One vote has damaged the state's reputation.

North Carolina has voted for Amendment One, a change to the state’s constitution that bans civil unions and same-sex marriages.

The south-eastern American state voted Tuesday (8 May) to outlaw same-sex unions, which were already prohibited.

Supporters pushed for the constitutional amendment, stating there was a need for protection against any further legal challenges.

As the writing of the legislation is vague, it is unknown whether the amendment will also outstrip the rights of unmarried co-habiting straight couples.

Reaction was quick to flood in Wednesday (9 May) after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president in history to publicly support gay marriage.

North Carolina voters are at the polls today deciding the fate of Amendment One, legislation that will ban the state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits and could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples.

Passions have been heated on both sides of the issue in recent days and led to a war of words on Twitter between pro wrestler CM Punk and a homophobic supporter of the measure.

If the numbers hold up, anti-gay marriage advocates will continue their near perfect record when it comes to the voting booth.

On Tuesday, North Carolina citizens will have an opportunity to decide on Amendment One. If passed, the legislation will ban the state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits and could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples.

With the birth of Twitter and the death of discretion, an increasing number of public figures are candid about their anti-gay sentiments, and are paying for it.

Social media and consumer-driven content means that anything said online gets heard around the world in a matter of mouse clicks.

When homophobic and transphobic remarks are made, and apologies ensue, is it a genuine about-face or a lame attempt at lip service?

Former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination for president on Wednesday (2 May) calling his candidacy 'a truly wld ride.'

'Today I’m suspending the campaign but suspending the campaign does not mean suspending citizenship,' Gingrich said at a Washington DC-area hotel.

He vowed to remain active and work to get Republican candidates elected this fall.

A North Carolina pastor who advocated that father's 'punch' their sons if they start to act effeminately is backtracking a bit on his advice after snippets of his Sunday sermon went viral.

The pastor of a Baptist church in North Carolina had some advice for parents during his Sunday sermon this week: beat your children if they start to behave differently from their gender.

Sean Harris, senior pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fayettesville, said to his congregation: 'Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male.'

Even though Mitt Romney is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Newt Gingrich officially remains in the race and trying to appeal to the party's socially conversative voters.

Gingrich on Tuesday (24 April) released a video in support of North Carolina's Amendment One, a ballot initiative that seeks add a ban same-sex marriages and civil unions to the North Carolina constitution.

North Carolina voters will go to the polls on May 8 to vote on Amendment One, a ballot initiative that seeks add a ban same-sex marriages and civil unions to the North Carolina constitution.

That state's governor, Beverly Perdue, had briefly spoken out against the measure last month but in a video released this week, the elaborates on why she is against the measure.