Gay activists in North Carolina are helping prove the point of the Marriage Amendment, so episodes like this don't turn into lawsuits which threaten to overturn the state's laws:

A gay rights group launched a campaign Monday in Asheville that seeks to go beyond opposition to a May referendum question on constitutionally barring same-sex marriage by targeting current state law that already forbids such unions.

The Campaign for Southern Equality kicked off its "We Do" effort by having three same-sex couples unsuccessfully attempt to obtain marriage licenses from the Buncombe County Register of Deeds. Organizers and participants know they'll be denied the licenses, since North Carolina state law already forbids same-sex couples from marrying.

... "I think it makes our case why we need an amendment," [Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the North Carolina Values Coalition] said. "When people see that, they're going to be concerned and they're going to take it as a sign of aggression on the part of people who advocate for same-sex marriage." --Associated Press