North Carolina’s Gay Marriage Ban is Bad for Business

Yesterday, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue said that a gay marriage ban in her state would be “bad for business” and hurts the state’s “brand” (which is a funny thing to think about: “What is your favorite brand of state?” — probably one that is more accepting than North Carolina!). Unfortunately, the amendment banning gay marriage passed — even though GOP leaders in the state predicted that it would probably be repealed in the next 20 years anyway. So now that it’s passed, how bad will the ban be for business? A small business owner in Carrboro, N.C. tells Marketplace says the ban gives the state “a black eye” and businesses may have to deal with rewriting employee benefit plans for gay couples, and who wants to deal with that, really? Studies have shown that gay people have a positive impact on the economy and home values, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to North Carolina when everyone runs for the border for a state with a better brand.

Photo: Flickr/TeamStickerGiant

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