North Carolina’s gubernatorial race is heating up as Republican nominee Mark Robinson faces increased scrutiny over his controversial and inflammatory remarks about marriage equality. Robinson, currently the state’s lieutenant governor, has a long history of harsh rhetoric targeting the LGBTQ+ community. He has repeatedly referred to marriage equality as “wickedness” and has baselessly claimed that its legalization would lead to the normalization of pedophilia, child rape, and incest.

In a series of sermons and social media posts, Robinson has justified his opposition to LGBTQ+ rights by invoking religious and conspiratorial language. Robinson said during a 2021 sermon at a Baptist church, “Marriage is between one man and one woman. It is ordained by God, and anything outside of that is wickedness.” In numerous social media posts, he has gone even further, promoting the conspiracy theory that legalizing same-sex marriage would pave the way for pedophilia to be accepted as a “human right.”

Robinson’s rhetoric, which has remained consistent over the years, paints a dark picture of his potential governorship. His candidacy has drawn significant attention, especially in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court’s willingness to overturn long-standing legal precedents. Following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which reversed Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in a concurring opinion that marriage equality could be next on the chopping block. As North Carolina voters prepare for the upcoming election, Robinson’s extreme views could have severe implications for LGBTQ+ rights in the state.

According to a June 2024 Galluppoll, 69 percent of Americans support legal same-sex marriage—a near-record high. However, the poll also revealed that Republican support for marriage equality has dipped to 46 percent, down from 55 percent in 2021 and 2022. Robinson’s candidacy taps into this shift within the GOP as he continues to push an agenda that targets LGBTQ+ rights.

His history of inflammatory remarks extends beyond marriage equality. In 2021, he compared LGBTQ+ people to maggots in a sermon, according to theNews and Observer, and he has consistently claimed that heterosexual couples are superior to same-sex couples. His rhetoric has been met with widespread condemnation from civil rights organizations and political opponents. However, Robinson remains unapologetic, using his platform to promote fear-mongering narratives that position LGBTQ+ rights as a threat to society.

Dawson McNamara-Bloom, a spokesperson for the Mark Robinson War Room, a project of the North Carolina Democratic Leadership Committee aimed at holding Robinson accountable, responded sharply to the revelations about Robinson’s anti-LGBTQ+ statements.

“At a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door to ripping away more rights, Mark Robinson would be a governor committed to abolishing marriage equality and ripping the rug out from under same-sex couples across the state,” McNamara-Bloom told The Advocate. “For years, Robinson has demeaned, mocked, and attacked the LGBTQ+ community relentlessly. The choice this November couldn’t be more stark, just as the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Adding to the complexity of the upcoming election, a recent ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court has delayed the start of mail-in voting in the state. According to the Citizen-Times, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will no longer appear on the state’s ballots after the court ordered his name removed, necessitating a reprinting of ballots—a process that could cost taxpayers nearly $1 million and postpone the distribution of absentee ballots.