CHARLOTTE, NC — Mecklenburg, and counties across North Carolina, are preparing for people to apply for same-sex marriage licenses. A federal judge appears ready to strike down North Carolina’s ban, following a landmark decision by the Supreme Court.
Same-sex unions could start happening here in as little as 10 days. The Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds says they are already working on gender-neutral marriage license applications. “We don’t want to have to manually scratch out on the form,” said J. David Granberry of the MCRD. “We don’t want to be missing data. We don’t want to be telling people you have to search three different ways to find one of these marriages because we haven’t updated the system yet.”
Activists from Equality NC and the ACLU say they are also preparing for the first day of same-sex marriage in North Carolina. They say they want the process to go as smoothly as possible and are calling on opponents to give up the fight.
House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate leader Phil Berger have vowed to defend Amendment One. A federal judge has given them 10 days to make their case.
“Eventually, it’s going to come. But, you know, there’s people standing the way, and they need to, they need to get out of the way,” said same-sex marriage supporter Katie Boone.
“This process is over,” said Chris Sgro of Equality NC. “The Supreme Court’s decision yesterday not to take an appeal means that’s the end of the line for the conversation about marriage equality in North Carolina.”
Organizers say earlier same-sex marriages from other states are expected to be recognized in North Carolina.
