Washington became the seventh U.S. state to acknowledge same-sex marriage when Gov. Chris Gregoire signed voter-approved legislation into law today.

Though the law won't actually take effect until June 7, Gregoire's actions have already been praised by countless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates nationwide.

"I'm proud our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate but equal," she told the crowd, which included many gay rights activists. She also praised the day as one "that historians will mark as a milestone for equal rights."