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You Vote: 2012 Cover of the Year

December 22, 2012 in QPoll by QNotes Staff

Twenty-six issues. Twenty-six covers. From local leaders to beautiful shots from local photographers, it’s our readers’ chance to pick their favorite Cover of the Year.

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2012: Year in Review

December 22, 2012 in Cover Stories, Featured Stories, News by QNotes Staff

So comes the end of the year. Families and friends will gather around dinner tables, Christmas trees. Friends will grab drinks and chat about old times. It’s a warm season full of memory. As we each look back on the past year, qnotes’ features in our last print issue of 2012 recaps of the year’s top politics and community stories. Additionally, we give thanks and recognition to our 2012 People of the Year.

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Matt Comer

2012 in Review: Politics & Advocacy, Part I

December 22, 2012 in Featured Stories, News by Matt Comer

For many, 2012 was a landmark year. It was full of activism and advocacy. Community organizations grew and changed. North Carolinians banded together in the face of an anti-LGBT amendment. The community grew closer and stronger. The amendment, by far, will rank atop any imaginable list of the major stories of the year, as it does here. But, there were certainly other noteworthy happenings over the past 12 months. Good or bad or otherwise, these moments are the hallmarks of this year’s LGBT history.

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Matt Comer

Online Only: 2012 in Review: Politics & Advocacy, Part II

December 22, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

There was so much activity in 2012, it would be hard to adequately compile it all in one sitting. We’ve hit upon the major happenings, but there were plenty of other milestones, accomplishments and, even, setbacks.

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Matt Comer

McCrory appoints anti-gay funder Art Pope to oversee budget

December 21, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Republican Gov.-elect Pat McCrory made several appointments to his administration on Thursday, including a controversial decision to name a conservative financial backer as his chief budget writer.

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Matt Comer

NC gun rights group wants to arm teachers

December 19, 2012 in Blog by Matt Comer

A state lawmaker isn’t alone in his opinion that teachers and school administrators should have access to guns on school campuses. In an opinion piece published by The Charlotte Observer today, the president of a statewide gun-rights group suggested the same.

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Matt Comer

NC lawmaker: Arming teachers and administrators will make school campuses safer

December 19, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

A member of the North Carolina House of Representatives suggested on Tuesday that school administrators and teachers should have access to guns in an effort to ensure schools are safe from any threats on their campuses.

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Matt Comer

McCrory’s new chief of staff has anti-gay record

December 13, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Republican Gov.-elect Pat McCrory announced on Thursday the first three of many appointments he will be making as his team transitions into his new administration as North Carolina’s next governor.

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Matt Comer

Gay couples look to Supreme Court with concern and optimism

December 13, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Two North Carolina couples await a fate to be determined as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear two separate marriage-related cases in the spring.

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Matt Comer

Gay leader says chance encounter with McCrory was ‘cordial’

December 12, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Former Charlotte Mayor and Gov.-elect Pat McCrory hasn’t taken up residence in the Governor’s Mansion yet. He hasn’t even had the opportunity to rearrange the furniture in the governor’s state Capitol offices. But that didn’t stop one gay leader from doing a bit of personal lobbying, so to speak.

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Jason Yonce

A year of change: North Carolina after Amendment One

December 10, 2012 in Guest Commentary by Jason Yonce

Amendment One passed with the blessing of about 1.3 million North Carolina voters on the day of the Republican primary. Those numbers constitute about 19.5 percent of our registered voters and 13 percent when you adjust for the entire population registered or unregistered. At every level of the ratification process Amendment One was a poor example of how representative democracy should operate.

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Matt Comer

Naughty and Nice 2012

December 8, 2012 in Editor's Note by Matt Comer

I’ve got my fine parchment paper, my inkwell filled with the finest purple ink and my fancy feather quill pen all ready to go. Yes, it is time for this year’s Naughty and Nice list, recounting the heroes, villains and foes of 2012.

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Matt Comer

Carolinas cities receive average scores on LGBT equality

December 6, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

LGBT activists across the country now have their first comprehensive tool to track and measure non-discrimination and other equality initiatives at the local level. In November, the Human Rights Campaign released their first-ever Municipal Equality Index, tracking local anti-discrimination ordinances and other achievements in 137 cities and towns across the U.S.

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Matt Comer

NAACP leader calls for new ‘21st century fusion politics’

November 19, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

With standing ovations and shouts of “amen” coming from the audience, a passer-by could have easily confused Saturday night’s Equality North Carolina Gala as a rousing church service. The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, delivered his keynote speech at the event, calling those present to action and unity on matters of social justice for all people.

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Matt Comer

Bruised not beaten: N.C. gay activists see new roads to equality

November 17, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Leaders with a statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy and education organization said on on Saturday that they will begin shifting their focus to increase their support of equality initiatives on the local level in North Carolina.

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Matt Comer

Hundreds expected at statewide conference on Saturday

November 16, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

North Carolina’s statewide LGBT advocacy and education organization will hold its sixth annual Equality North Carolina Conference and Gala on Saturday.

Staff Editorial: Our job is to report

November 10, 2012 in Editorial by Matt Comer and David Stout

Running an LGBT community newspaper, or any minority community newspaper for that matter, is no easy task. qnotes, like other minority press, operates in a sometimes uncomfortable middle ground between objective media and an instrument to build and empower community.

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Matt Comer

Exit polls show gay voter strength

November 8, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

National exit polling data estimates that five percent of the nation’s voters on Tuesday self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. The numbers, if taken at face value in North Carolina, reveal a potentially-powerful constituency for those seeking elected office.

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Matt Comer

Gay House, Senate candidates lose to Republican opponents

November 7, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

After hard-fought campaigns, two openly lesbian candidates for the North Carolina legislature lost their races on Tuesday night.

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Matt Comer

Republicans hold control of N.C. legislature

November 7, 2012 in News by Matt Comer

Republicans maintained their control of the North Carolina General Assembly, adding to their majorities in both the Senate and the House. LGBT advocates in Raleigh say they are ready for new partnerships among a strengthened GOP legislature.