By Brittany Tressler

Montgomery County Register of Wills Bruce Hanes issued wedding licenses to five same-sex couples Wednesday morning, in defiance of the Pennsylvania ban on gay marriage.

Loreen M. Bloodgood and Alicia A. Terrizzi, of Limerick, and Sasha Esther Ballen and Diana Lynn Spagnuolo, of Wynnewood, were the first four Pennsylvanians to receive marriage licenses as same-sex couples.

Bloodgood and Terrizzi have been in a relationship for 18 years and have two young boys. "I think we feel equal for once," said Bloodgood, according to The Intelligencer. "We feel the same as anybody else. It's a great feeling, almost indescribable."

On Tuesday, Hanes announced that he was prepared to issue a marriage license to a different lesbian couple, who decided that morning not to proceed. Hanes said his decision was based upon the constitution, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and remarks made by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane. "When I took the oath of office 19 months ago, I swore to uphold the U.S. and the Pennsylvania Constitutions," said Hanes. " Article 1 Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, aptly entitled 'Inherent rights of mankind,' says "all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which is "pursuing their own happiness.'"

County Commissioners Josh Shapiro and Leslie Richards hailed the decision, saying that Hanes was "on the right side of history."

"Equality took a step forward in Montgomery County with the decision to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples," Shapiro said.