Opposing sides in the battle over same-sex marriage are bracing for a North Carolina showdown.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted as the House did Monday to put a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the May ballot. The Senate vote was 30-16.

Within hours, grassroots groups on both sides of the cultural divide were planning for what will amount to a public relations firestorm.

The N.C. Values Coalition will lead the pro-amendment campaign.

"It's much like a political campaign," Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald was quoted as saying on CharlotteObserver.com, describing an effort that will focus on getting out the vote and working with churches.

Alex Miller, Equality North Carolina's interim executive director, said the opposition campaign will focus on the message that "all people are created equal and perfect, and everyone is deserving of God's love," the Observer reported.

Voters in 30 other states have approved bans on same-sex marriage. And while polls show that attitudes toward the issue have evolved, even some who oppose a constitutional ban in North Carolina concede an uphill fight.

To gain support from key Democratic lawmakers, GOP supporters of the referendum agreed to put the proposed amendment on the May primary ballot rather than the November 2012 general election ballot. Ironically, some say, that makes it more likely that the amendment will pass because Republicans will be drawn to the polls in larger numbers by the GOP presidential primary.

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