UPDATE: NC GOP Leader Kills Attempt To Invalidate Same-Sex Marriage

CHARLOTTE, NC -- An attempt to defy the U.S. Supreme Court on its marriage equality decision and make same-sex unions invalid in North Carolina is dead, the top GOP leader said Wednesday.

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The bill, proposed April 11 by three GOP lawmakers, sought to nullify a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, making same-sex unions a thing of the past.

The move came less than two weeks after state lawmakers narrowly repealed the contentious and discriminatory HB2 “bathroom bill” that prompted widespread economic hemorrhaging throughout the state.

NC Reps Larry Pittman of Concord, Michael Speciale of New Bern and Carl Ford of Rowan County sponsored the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act,” which would force the state to enforce a 2012 voter referendum that bans same sex marriage.

“Marriages, whether created by common law, contracted, or performed outside of North Carolina, between individuals of the same gender are not valid in North Carolina,” the bill reads.

Pushback was swift and strong following the bill’s introduction.

“Republicans in the General Assembly seem to have a special talent for embarrassing themselves and our state, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin said Tuesday.

“Marriage equality is the law of the land in North Carolina and the entire nation, no matter what half-baked legal theories anti-LGBT lawmakers try to put forward,” said ACLU-NC Policy Director Sarah Gillooly following the bill's introduction. “This bill is absurd, unconstitutional and further proof that some North Carolina legislators remain committed to discriminating against LGBT people and their families. North Carolina lawmakers cannot defy the U.S. Supreme Court based on their extreme personal views.

In the state where citizens have grown weary with political action meant to codify discrimination, the Tweetstorm was ready to go.

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