MARRIED IN MASS., SINGLE IN N.C.: From the Charlotte Observer

Karen Kitchens-Law and Mary Stuart Law were sitting in their lawyer's office in July, closing on their $343,000 home in University City, when they came across a question in the paperwork:

Are you married?

The couple, partners since 1988, had wed in a legal ceremony in their Massachusetts backyard in June, shortly after the state legalized same-sex unions. ...

The couple is Exhibit I in the nationwide debate that has led 37 states to ban gay unions. Voters in 11 states did so in November, refusing recognition to same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

The Carolinas have had their laws in place since 1996, when Hawaii considered legalizing same-sex unions. An effort in recent years to put the restriction in the N.C. Constitution has failed.

But as couples like Karen, an occupational therapist, and Mary, a financial analyst at TIAA-CREF, move out of Massachusetts, they're challenging how their new homes handle their union.

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posted by Eve at 4:45 AM VOTE

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