Ashley Broadway is a stay-at-home mom living in Sanford and is married to an Army lieutenant colonel at Fort Bragg — until she steps off of the military base.
The recent U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively struck down the Defense of Marriage Act gives her and spouse Heather Mack federal recognition of their marriage, but N.C.’s constitution still bans state recognition for same-sex couples.
“We wanted to live in a progressive state, and we thought that North Carolina fit that,” Broadway said. “It doesn’t seem like that now.”
The state’s ban on same-sex marriage and law against adoption by gay couples contribute to the state ranking below average in terms of LGBT equality, according to the Municipal Equality Index.
The index, compiled by LGBT advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign and published last month, determines how equally cities treat their LGBT communities, rewarding cities for nondiscrimination laws, relationship recognition and health benefits for same-sex spouses, among other criteria.
Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte and Fayetteville were among the N.C. cities included, and the statewide average was 42 out of 100. Durham earned the highest score in the state, a 56.
Durham’s score was a reflection of its employee non-discrimination protections — a policy the state as a whole has not implemented, said Jen Jones, spokeswoman for Equality N.C., an LGBT advocacy group. It represents one instance where contrasting federal, state and local laws have created a complex legal network that same-sex couples must navigate.
Broadway said she had to go to great lengths to secure parental rights for the children she raises with her wife.
When her wife had a baby last January, Broadway said she had to go out of state to legally adopt the child.
