WASHINGTON – Today the North Carolina State Legislature overrode Governor Pat McRory’s wise veto of SB 2. This law will allow state officials to refuse to perform legal same-sex marriages if it contradicts the official’s personal religious beliefs. In response to the passage of this bill, Rabbi Jack Moline, executive director of Interfaith Alliance, said this:

“North Carolina’s state motto is Esse Quam Videri, ‘To Be Rather Than To Seem.’ Unfortunately in the case of SB 2, the state legislature got it backward – they want to seem like they are for religious freedom, but they’re not really. Religious freedom means that officers of the government serve all equally, regardless of their personal religious ideology. Religious freedom ensures that secular law, not religious doctrine, dictates government services. It is disturbing and disheartening to see so many members of a state legislative body misunderstand our most important freedom.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.