On Oct. 10, 2014, North Carolina became the 29th state to allow gay marriage. After more than 34 years together, Stanley Finch and Jeffery Beam got married at a friend's home on Nov. 29, 2014. Beam and Finch, both born and raised in North Carolina, said they wanted to get married to celebrate their relationship and exercise their right to equality under state law. Their act of matrimony legally redefined their relationship and the two formally became family members. "We never thought this day would come in our lifetime," said Beam. It's "hard to think it is real and not some joke." In May, the couple held a second ceremony in a church.