North Carolina County Clerk Intends To Challenge State’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban

[octoberlib]

North Carolina voters approved a constitutional ban on legally recognizing same-sex relationships just last year, but some officials may already be testing its merit. Attorney General Roy Cooper announced this week that he supports marriage equality , but will still defend the ban against the federal lawsuit filed by six same-sex couples. Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger wants to see just how supportive Cooper is.
Reisinger announced that he will start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Tuesday, though he will withhold his signature. He explained that he still needs Cooper’s approval, but, he says, “I have concerns about whether we are violating people’s civil rights based on this summer’s Supreme Court decision [overturning the Defense of Marriage Act.]” Cooper’s office responded that “these marriage licenses cannot be issued” until a court says otherwise.
Nevertheless, the Campaign for Southern Equality and its WE DO campaign have six same-sex couples ready to apply. Among them are Brenda Clark and Carol McCrory, who’ve been together 25 years and have requested and been denied marriage licenses from the Buncombe country Register of Deeds Office four times since 2011.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/10/15/2779021/north-carolina-county-clerk-intends-challenge-states-sex-marriage-ban/

[WorseBeforeBetter]

1. "I was frustrated turning down marriage licenses from upstanding citizens from my community..."

"I am more than willing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, but I want to have the legal clarification of my attorney general Roy Cooper," Reisinger told The Associated Press.

....

"I was frustrated turning down marriage licenses from upstanding citizens from my community again and again. I had a handful of friends come into my office and request licenses and we had to deny them specifically because of their sexual orientation. And I just didn't feel like it was fair anymore," Reisinger said.

....

When same-sex couples arrive at his office Tuesday morning, he said he will ask them to fill out the traditional forms, then send those papers to the attorney general's office.

"If the attorney general says he will not allow me to issue marriage licenses, then I will respect the law of the land. But if he grants me permission to issue these marriage licenses, I will be excited to be the first in the South to make that happen," he said.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/10/14/3281740/advocates-target-changing-nc-same.html#storylink=cpy

There's A LOT I want reversed in this state, and this is one of the biggies.

[octoberlib]

2. +1