Why North Carolina’s Unprecedented Exemption Is Wrong for America

Photo by Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal / The Star-Ledger / RNS
Couples kiss after marrying in Jersey City, N.J. Photo by Reena Rose Sibayan/The Jersey Journal / The Star-Ledger / RNS

This week, North Carolina’s legislature overrode its Republican governor’s veto to allow magistrates and clerks to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.

This unprecedented move — never before have state employees been allowed to simply stop doing their jobs — comes at a time of profound debate regarding same-sex marriage. It is exactly the wrong move.

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An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
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