Gay couples have started marrying each other across Virginia. The unions became possible following the Supreme Court's Monday decision not to hear appeals on gay marriage bans from Virginia, Utah, Indiana, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
Virginia's Attorney General Mark Herring hailed the decision in a tweet as a "momentous & joyous day for thousands of Virginians." He announced that same-sex marriages would begin at 1pm today. Herring went on to officiate same-sex wedding later that day, according to the Guardian.
In contrast, Oklahoma's Gov. Mary Pallin said “the will of the people has now been overridden," and the state's Attorney General Scott Pruitt said he was "disappointed," according to the Guardian. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen neutrally conceded that gay marriage was legal.
Gay couples flocked to courthouses across the state, though Fairfax's registry office suffered a short closure for a software tweak, according to the Washington Post. Read on for heartwarming pictures of gay and lesbian Virginians tying the knot.
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