EQUALITY

N. Carolina Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down

Licenses already being issued.

The first same-sex marriages in North Carolina began immediately on Friday night after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban on gay marriages. U.S. District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. declared the ban unconstitutional, writing, “North Carolina’s laws prohibiting same-sex marriage are unconstitutional as a matter of law. The issue before this courts neither a political issue nor a moral issue. It is a legal issue.” Cogburn’s ruling applies statewide, according to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. The Register of Deeds in Buncombe County kept his office open late to begin issuing marriage licenses to dozens of waiting couples. “It’s a historical day in North Carolina,” he said. “It’s autumn in Asheville and it’s a beautiful time to get married.”