US Supreme Court Denies Review Of All Seven Same-Sex Marriage Cases

USA Today has the big news!

The Supreme Court refused to get involved in the national debate over same-sex marriage Monday, leaving intact lower court rulings that will legalize the practice in 11 additional states. The unexpected decision by the justices, announced without further explanation, immediately affects five states in which federal appeals courts had struck down bans against gay marriage: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah.

It also will bring along six other states located in the judicial circuits overseen by those appellate courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. The action will bring to 30 the number of states where gays and lesbians can marry. Appeals courts in Cincinnati and San Francisco are considering cases that could expand that number further, presuming the Supreme Court remains outside the legal fray.

Freedom To Marry tweets the happy news:

Soon, the freedom to marry will likely come to five more states - #Indiana, #Utah, #Oklahoma, #Virginia, #Wisconsin #SCOTUS

— freedomtomarry (@freedomtomarry) October 6, 2014

Arguments have been heard on marriage cases in the 6th Circuit and 9th Circuit courts of appeals, and decisions could come at any time.