After the Associated Press reported earlier today he would defy North Carolina's gay marriage ban and begin accepting applications for same-sex unions, Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger has made good on his promise.
Carol McCrory and Brenda Clark, a lesbian couple who have been together for 25 years and raised two children, became the first couple to have their marriage application accepted by Resigner earlier today. Additionally, the move brands McCrory and Clark as the first same-sex couple to have their marriage application accepted in the South.
However, this does not mean that the pair has been issued a marriage license.
"Drew, we want to thank you for your courage and standing up and doing the right thing," the couple told Reisinger in the above video. "One of the reasons that we're here is to be a visible face for this movement -- to show the people of North Carolina that we're not very scary. We have confidence that, as Christians and as Americans, eventually everybody will do the right thing... We want the same validity for our family that we have together that other people enjoy -- that's all we want."
In order for Reisinger to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples submitting applications, he must seek legal counsel from State Attorney General Roy Cooper. On Monday, Cooper announced his support for marriage equality -- but remained mum on whether or not he would continue to defend North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage.
According to the Associated Press, however, Cooper's spokeswoman Noelle Talley claimed that "these marriage licenses cannot be issued."
If McCrory and Clark's marriage license is not approved in their home state, the couple has plans to marry in New York on Nov. 9.
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