LGBTQ North Carolinians eligible for domestic violence protections following court ruling

A new Court of Appeals ruling would allow LGBTQ North Carolinians to get domestic violence protections under state law.

In fact, North Carolina was the last state in the country to deny domestic violence protections to those in same-sex relationships. The Thursday ruling named the current guidelines unconstitutional in a divided 2-1 decision.

The Court ruling stemmed from the Wake County M.E. v. T.J. case back in 2018. M.E was a survivor of domestic violence who was denied a protective order because she was in a same-sex relationship.

In the opinion of the court, Democrat Chief Judge Linda McGee wrote, "By telling Plaintiff that her existence is not as valuable as that of individuals who engage in "opposite-sex" relationships, the State is not just needlessly endangering Plaintiff, it is expressing State-sanctioned animus toward her."

To read more, head to ABC11.