NORTH CAROLINA: State Attorney General Roy Cooper Endorses Marriage Equality

But he's still going to defend the state against the lawsuit brought by the ACLU. Via the Associated Press:

Attorney General Roy Cooper says he supports gay marriage but argues his personal views aren't preventing him from vigorously defending North Carolina's constitutional amendment affirming its prohibition from a lawsuit. Cooper opposed passage of the amendment in 2012 but hadn't addressed his views on sanctioning gay marriage publicly until now. He said over the weekend "I support marriage equality" when asked by The Associated Press about the topic. His announcement worries the socially conservative North Carolina Family Policy Council after it questioned why Cooper was speaking next month at a fundraiser for gay-rights group Equality North Carolina.

Equality North Carolina has responded to Cooper's announcement: "The Attorney General has long been an advocate for equal rights for all people and we applaud him for publicly aligning with a fast-growing majority of North Carolinians who now support the legal relationship recognitions between committed LGBT couples." (Tipped by JMG reader Al)