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CHARLOTTE, NC — 62 same-sex couples received marriage licenses in Mecklenburg County Monday.
It was the first day since the district judge sided with higher courts ruling that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional.
Out of the 62 who picked up licenses, 35 got married right on the courthouse steps Monday.
Bands played music and couples cheered when they came out of the courthouse with a license.
“We thought this would never, ever happen in our lifetime,” said Glenda Lawson. “It’s amazing.”
Not everyone shared the sentiment. There was one lone protester at the courthouse waving a Bible. Security had to eventually tell him to leave as he approached couples trying to enter the public building.
Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, was in Charlotte Monday. He echoed disapproval, siding with lawmakers Thom Tillis and Phil Berger. They argued to the court last week that voters approved adding Amendment One to the State Constitution in 2012. That clause banned same-sex marriage in North Carolina.
“This is a democracy, and the people spoke,” said Graham. “We’re seeing that activist judges across the country are overturning the will of the people.”
34.66 percent of registered voters statewide showed up to the polls when the amendment was on the ballot.
“Not everybody came out to vote,” said Jess Zinoble. “I think the people that did vote, they didn’t really understand what they were voting for.”
Her wife, Amber, pointed out, “It affected everybody, not just gay couples. I don’t think everybody understood that.”
With the district court’s approval, Glenda and her wife, Juli Treadway, are now sealed by a license.
They yelled, “We got it!” when they left the courthouse.
They say now they both have rights to their children as well as to each other.
