People work with gays and lesbians , have them in their family , sit next to them in church , and , most importantly of all , see them on television . David Stanley : The N.C. vote to ban same - sex marriage goes far , including civil partnerships . He says socially liberal initiatives often move slowly -- the Equal Rights Amendment , for example . He says ERA became a line in the sand for the right ; too few states ended up supporting it . Stanley : Black , Latino , does n't help the same - sex marriage issue .
David Stanley : The N.C. vote to ban same - sex marriage goes far , including civil partnerships . He says socially liberal initiatives often move slowly -- the Equal Rights Amendment , for example . He says ERA became a line in the sand for the right ; too few states ended up supporting it . Stanley : Black , Latino , does n't help the same - sex marriage issue .