WOBURN, MA – Massachusetts Family Institute President Kris Mineau released the following statement in response to North Carolina’s overwhelming endorsement of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman:

“We commend and applaud North Carolina voters for making their state the thirty-second to uphold the historic and natural definition of marriage by referendum. We personally want to congratulate our friends and colleagues at the North Carolina Family Policy Council, as well as their supporters and faith leaders, on such a resounding victory for the institution of marriage.

“Each one of these victories for natural marriage in the hands of the voters conjures up conflicting emotions for those of us in the Bay State. On the one hand, we are excited to continue to see states protect their best interests from what started here with activist judges thrusting same-sex marriage upon us. On the other, seeing citizens having the opportunity to vote on marriage serves as one more reminder of what has been repeatedly denied the voters in Massachusetts by those elected to represent them.

“We hold no false hope that this reality will change any time soon here, but our ultimate goal remains giving the voters of the Commonwealth the final say as to how marriage will be defined. We continue this fight because the American people and the majority of Massachusetts residents still value the unique benefits that marriage between a man and a woman brings to families and society,” concluded Mineau.