Oklahoma City --

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Oklahoma must allow gay couples to wed, prompting an angry response from leaders of the state.

A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld a federal judge's ruling striking down Oklahoma's same-sex marriage ban, which had been approved by more than 75 percent of voters in 2004. Friday's decision marks the second time the federal appeals court has found the U.S. Constitution protects same-sex marriage.

The court put its 2-1 ruling on hold pending an appeal, meaning same-sex couples won't be allowed to marry in Oklahoma for now.

"Today's ruling is another instance of federal courts ignoring the will of the people and trampling on the right of states to govern themselves," Gov. Mary Fallin said. "In this case, two judges have acted to overturn a law supported by Oklahomans."

Oklahoma has made a habit in recent years of battling federal laws and policies, with the state suing over health care reform, Environmental Protection Agency requirements and the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. The state last year also refused to process benefits for same-sex couples in the National Guard, instead ordering that those workers' benefits be processed at federal facilities.

Friday's decision comes after the same three-judge panel ruled in June that Utah's ban on same-sex marriage violates the Constitution. That was the first time an appellate court determined that last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down portions of the Defense of Marriage Act meant states couldn't deny gays the ability to wed. That ruling also is on hold, and Utah's attorney general has said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The two decisions give increased momentum to a cause that has compiled a string of lower court victories. More than 20 courts have issued rulings siding with same-sex marriage advocates since the Supreme Court's DOMA ruling. The rulings have come in 17 states, with Florida being the latest.

In 2004, more than a dozen states passed bans outlawing same-sex marriage, including Oklahoma and Utah. Now same-sex marriage is legal in 19 states, including California, and the District of Columbia, and recent polls show a majority of Americans support it.