The Slatest

Photos Show the First Gay Couples to Get Married in States That Didn’t Allow It Yesterday

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy in his powerful last paragraph in Friday’s historic Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. Standing solemnly in the White House Rose Garden, President Barack Obama called the ruling a “victory for America.” Vice President Joe Biden released a statement as well, declaring that “this day is for history to remember as one where, as a nation, our laws finally recognize that all people should be treated with respect and dignity—and that all marriages, at their root, are defined by unconditional love.”

Meanwhile, same-sex couples in the 13 states where gay marriage was banned as recently as Thursday have celebrated in their own way: Within hours of the decision’s announcement Friday morning, couples were already lining up to wed.

These photos from Friday morning show touching scenes of some of the first legal gay marriages in states that no longer uphold their bans.

Arkansas:

Georgia:

Kentucky:

Louisana:

Michigan:

Missouri:

Nebraska:

Ohio:

Tenneseee:

Texas: