MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA — When Montgomery resident Jessica Dent heard the news that the United States Supreme Court had struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, she had to fight the urge to jubilantly scream out loud while at work. The order meant that she and Carolee Taylor — her partner of 13 years — would finally be able to get married in their home state after months of legal uncertainty.

She quickly left her office and rushed to the Montgomery County Courthouse. A few hours later, they were wed in an impromptu ceremony, exchanging vows and rings in front of one of the city’s fountains, surrounded by activists, reporters, and photographers.

When asked how it felt to finally be married, Dent replied: “Amazing. Legitimized.” In her opinion, it had been “too long to wait.”

Like other same-sex couples in Alabama, Dent and Taylor had endured months of tumult over the status of their relationship as federal and state judges clashed over marriage equality. Despite Friday’s Supreme Court victory, some LGBT campaigners believe that opponents of marriage equality won’t end their opposition anytime soon.

The confusion began in late January after a federal judge overturned a 2006 state ban on same-sex marriage in Alabama. The ruling outraged Roy Moore, Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and probate judges tasked with issuing marriage licenses soon found themselves caught between federal and state courts — both of which were seeking to control the probate judges' actions. Amid the legal chaos, one county judge even ordered a temporary ban on the issuing of marriage licenses altogether. Friday’s decision from the Supreme Court, which ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that marriage is a constitutional right available to all couples nationwide, should have put the matter to rest — although questions continued into this week about whether and how readily state and local officials would comply with the ruling.

Moore, also known for once being removed from public office for disobeying a federal ruling ordering him to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from his courthouse, has long been vocal in his opposition to marriage equality in Alabama. He has said that “Christians are going to be persecuted” in the U.S. following Obergefell v. Hodges and has compared the ruling to the Dred Scott case.



Alabama Governor Robert Bentley also tweeted his disagreement with the court ruling: “Regardless of today’s ruling by the Supreme Court, I still believe in a one man and one woman definition of marriage.” Bentley said he was disappointed the Supreme Court “has disregarded the choice made by the people of Alabama in its decision.”

While Bentley’s statement expresses disapproval with the verdict, he has not said he plans to defy the Court’s orders. However, others in Alabama expressed concern about Moore’s intentions, citing his history of defying federal orders at the cost of his position.

Representatives for Bentley and Moore did not respond to requests for comment for this article.