For years, Mitch Fortune and Jake Crouch have been prevented from getting married by laws making same-sex marriage illegal in North Carolina.
So when they heard the county's top record-keeper was going to accept same-sex marriage license requests Tuesday, they headed to his office. With his action, Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger became one of the first officials in the South to take such applications from same-sex couples.
"This is a big step," said Crouch, 29, a climatologist who works for the federal government.
Thirty-four-year-old Fortune agreed, adding that they had been discussing marriage for much of their 7-year relationship. They bought a house together in Asheville three years ago.
"I'd like to see this happen soon," he said.
Reisinger accepted marriage license requests from 10 same-sex couples on Tuesday, despite a 2012 amendment to the state constitution forbidding such marriages.
Reisinger said he will hold the licenses and ask state Attorney General Roy Cooper for legal advice. Reisinger said he believes the state's ban is unconstitutional.
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Why is the government in the wedding business in the first place? Shouldn't what constitutes "marriage" be a matter for the church to decide? And as for what constitutes a "spouse" for the purpose of employee benefits, shouldn't the employer decide that? If I don't like the way my church defines marriage, I can find another one. And when I'm applying for a job I can make sure I'm comfortable with the way my employer handles spousal benefits. I'd rather do that than have to accept whatever a gang of politicians decide.
ReplyDeleteThe problem, Sir is that your argument is logical.:)
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