To protest North Carolina's formal opposition to gay marriage - known informally as Amendment One - two same-sex couples will seek marriage licenses at the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds Office.

Partners Scott Bishop (our local LGBT activist of the year) and Ron Sperry and the Revs. Robin Tanner and Ann Marie Alderman will approach the Register of Deeds office tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. and ask for the licenses "as an act of conscience and in recognition that Amendment One, which bans same-sex marriage, violates their freedom to marry," according to a statement from Campaign for Southern Equality, which is helping to facilitate the event. Marriage license granters in several states, including New Mexico and Pennsylvania, have already taken public stances in support of gay marriage.

Since Aug. 21 LGBT couples in North Carolina have approached Register of Deeds in Madison, Forsyth, Guilford and Henderson counties, though none have walked away with a marriage license. Organizers are hopeful the next few counties, which include Mecklenburg, Buncombe, Transylvania, Cabarrus and Rowan, will be more generous.

A new Elon poll shows support for gay marriage is growing in younger demographics. Registered voters between the ages of 18 and 30 are the most supportive age group (68 percent), and, for the first time in the poll's history, more African American support same-sex marriage than opposite it.

• European Parliament (Flickr Creative Commons)