Lesbian Seeking Marriage License Arrested in NC

A lesbian who refused to leave a North Carolina government office without a wedding license was taken away in handcuffs yesterday after what organizers say was the first of many protests against the state's newly passed gay marriage ban. After a march through downtown Winston-Salem, nine gay and lesbian couples—some of them with their children—presented completed forms and identification to the local Register of Deeds office but were refused a license, reports AP.

"My wife and I have been together for nine years," one woman told the clerk after asking him to write "denied" on the application form. "We have been together through a natural disaster—we came from New Orleans. We have been together from the day we met each other, unwavering. And one day, I hope that you guys will accept us." Mary Jamis, 52, and a heterosexual friend were arrested, and charged with second-degree trespass after staging a sit-in when Jamis was denied a marriage license. (More North Carolina stories.)