NORTH CAROLINA: Asheville City Hall Flies Pride Flag As State Awaits Marriage

The Campaign for Southern Equality reports that gay couples are camping out at county clerk offices across North Carolina in anticipation of a ruling to enact same-sex marriage.

NC Gay Couples Line Up For Licenses

Gay couples lined up this morning outside the office of the Buncombe County registrar, who is issuing but not signing marriage licenses today. Attorney General Roy Cooper is defending the state against the lawsuit brought by the ACLU, even though he personally supports marriage equality. Buncombe County is home to Asheville, arguably the most liberal city in North Carolina.

Maddow On Asheville's Atheist Councilman

Remember the Asheville, North Carolina city councilman whose election was opposed because he's an atheist? Well, the wingnuts are gunning to have him booted.

North Carolina Law Bans Atheists, One Gets Into Office Anyway

Some folks tried to prevent newly elected Asheville, North Carolina city councilman Cecil Bothwell from taking office. Because he's an atheist. And that's still against the law there, as it is in five other states.

North Carolina's constitution is clear: politicians who deny the existence of God are barred from holding office. Opponents of Cecil Bothwell are seizing on that law to argue he should not be seated as a City Council member today, even though federal courts have ruled religious tests for public office are unlawful under the U.S. Constitution. Voters elected the writer and builder to the council last month. “I'm not saying that Cecil Bothwell is not a good man, but if he's an atheist, he's not eligible to serve in public office, according to the state constitution,” said H.K. Edgerton, a former Asheville NAACP president. Article 6, section 8 of the state constitution says: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.” Rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution trump the restriction in the state constitution, said Bob Orr, executive director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law.

Bothwell "affirmed" his oath of office late on Tuesday, because state law allows one to avoid placing a hand on the Bible and swearing "so help me God." His case is being cited by some "Tenthers" as another example of the imposition of federal laws on the states.

RELATED: Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) is the only openly atheist person ever elected to Congress.