5.1.14 Adam appearing at iHeartRadio Music Awards

The news: When a group like the American Civil Liberties Union sues to ensure marriage equality, it's to be expected. But when a group of clergymen stand up to do the same, well, that's a bit more rare.

Yet that's exactly what's happening in North Carolina, where clergy members have come together to sue the state for its ban on same-sex marriage. Their argument is the first of its kind in the country: The current law infringes on their First Amendment right to practice their religious beliefs.

"By denying same-sex couples the right to marry and by prohibiting religious denominations even from performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples, the State of North Carolina stigmatizes same-sex couples, as well as the religious institutions and clergy that believe in equal rights," the suit reads.