The United States Supreme Court is choosing not to take up the bans on same-sex marriage in Oklahoma and four other states, which were ruled unconstitutional in lower courts.
Scott Hamilton with The Cimarron Alliance, an LGBT advocacy group, says he was surprised the high court didn't take up the issue or even make a comment.
"It does, from all accounts, appear that in Oklahoma now the stay that was issued by the The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has now been lifted with the decision of the Supreme Court today. By all accounts, marriage equality has come to Oklahoma today."
Hamilton says he's already heard from gay and lesbian couples who are planning to go to the Oklahoma County Courthouse to get marriage licenses.
Brady Henderson, legal director of ACLU Oklahoma, says court clerks can legally start issuing marriage licenses today, but many will choose to wait until the stay is officially lifted by The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the district court. This could happen as early as today, but often it takes a few days.
The Associated Press is reporting Oklahoma County Court Clerk Tim Rhodes says his office will not issue licenses until he receives notice from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals that the stay has been lifted.
Six other states could be affected by this ruling, which means same-sex marriage could soon be allowed in at least thirty states.
