Dr. Franklin Graham, the son of
evangelist Billy Graham, on Tuesday endorsed a proposed gay marriage
ban in North Carolina.
Voters on May 8 will decide the fate of
Amendment One, the constitutional amendment which would bar the state
from recognizing the relationships of gay and lesbian couples with
marriage, civil unions and possibly domestic partnerships.
In his recorded statement released
Tuesday by Vote for Marriage North Carolina, Graham calls the
upcoming vote “very crucial.”
“On May 8 we have a very crucial vote
here in North Carolina and we have an opportunity to vote for the
marriage amendment,” the 59-year-old evangelist said “This
amendment affects all of us and that's how we define marriage in this
state. And I want you to take a stand for God's definition of
marriage. And that's between a man and a woman. This is very
critical. This is going to affect our state for years to come.”
“So, please vote May 8. Support the
marriage amendment,” he added. (The video is embedded in the right
panel of this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
Graham is the president and CEO of the
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
(Related: New
York Times
calls for North Carolina voters to reject gay marriage ban Amendment
One.)