It’s drag brunch time
RALEIGH, N.C. — Crape Myrtle Festival is holding a drag brunch event on March 18 at 12:30 p.m., at The Mint Restaurant, 219 Fayetteville St.
The Illusions tribute will feature Amaya (Dolly Parton), Eunyce Raye (Wyonna Judd), Dorae Saunders (Tina Turner), Stephanie Scott (Cher) and Nation Tyre (Usher). Ebony Summers will serve as hostess.
Enjoy a meal, music by DJ Robert and the show.
Seating is limited. Reservations are required. Doors open at noon.
Admission is $10, exclusive of buffet and drinks.
For reservations or more information, call 919-821-0011 or visit themintrestaurant.com or crapemyrtlefest.org.
— Lainey Millen
Carolinians oppose Amendment One
RALEIGH, N.C. — A poll conducted by Elon University and released on March 9 reports that a majority of North Carolinians oppose Amendment One, according to The Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families (CPNCF).
Revealed was that 54.2 percent surveyed either oppose or strongly oppose Amendment One, while 37.8 percent were in any way supportive.
CPNCF’s Jeremy Kennedy says that as “more people learn about this poorly written amendment and its unintended consequences the more the realize it will harm our children, their families, unmarried women and seniors.”
Initiative organizers are raising money to go toward television advertising to counter the amendment’s proponents, such as the VoteFORMarriageNC.com (headed by Tami Fitzgerald and the North Carolina Values Coalition) and Tony Perkin’s Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council (which as been certified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) and others.
They are seeking contributions of $25, $50, $100 or more.
Additionally, the organization has opened up its online store so that supporters can obtain campaign materials. Orders can be placed for yard signs, button, stickers, T-shirts and bumper stickers. Visit co.store.com/pncf to learn more.
A contribution of $18.99 or more gives recipients an “I’m voting against Amendment One. Ask Me Why” T-shirt.
For more information, visit protectncfamilies.org.
— Lainey Millen
Coalition unveils video
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Coalition to Protect All NC Families released a new video, “Momentum,” on March 1 detailing the momentum that the grassroots campaign has built up to this point.
Along with the release of this video, the Coalition sent out a statement regarding the work they have accomplished since Amendment One was placed on the ballot in September: 117 partners have joined the coalition, including the NAACP, Southerners on New Ground, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina and numerous faith congregations; they have 30 staff and seven field offices across the state; have raised more than $600,000, more than $150,000 of that has come in online, with more than $80,000 of that number coming in the last few weeks; they have more than 2,000 donors who have given $92 on average, the grassroots donors are with this campaign (Monies have raised in $10, 100, 250 and 1,000 chunks and they are ahead of schedule with what they have raised from that category.); they have more than 15,000 volunteers at this point and are making 20,000 voter calls per week; important validators such as Sen. Kay Hagan, Lt. Governor Walter Dalton, the conservative Carolina Review, libertarian thinker Michael Munger, Myers Park Baptist and others have come out in opposition to the amendment in recent weeks; and Race to the Ballot has held conversations in towns, large and small, across the state which has generated positive news coverage and momentum around the state.
To view the video, visit protectallncfamilies.ngpvanhost.com/momentum.
— O’Neale Atkinson
Researcher seeks participants
CHAPEL HILL — Mimi Schiffman, a Visual Communications graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is searching for volunteers who would be willing to share personal stories as they relate to Amendment One.
She is interested in approaching this topic from various stages in coupled relationships: people adopting or having children this spring. Schiffman especially will target the point of view of a child (ages 12-18) of a same-sex couple whose
rights would be infringed by Amendment One or a couple getting ready to retire and concerned about benefits or medical rights.
For more information, call 415-318-9729 or email mimischiffman@gmail.com.
— Lainey Millen