October 14, 2013
NC AG Cooper: Keeping Personal and Professional Apart in Marriage Fight
Bobby McGuire READ TIME: 1 MIN.
RALEIGH, N.C. - 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.
Council leader John Rustin said Monday it's inappropriate for Cooper to address a group that wants the amendment overturned. Cooper says he talks to groups across the state, and Equality NC isn't different.
