• Marriage equality is now the law of the land in Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Indiana and an additional 27 million Americans are extended the freedom to marry.

In light of the Supreme Court news, Colorado’s Republican Attorney General John Suthers dropped his defense of the state’s marriage ban and mandated that all county clerks begin issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

“There are no remaining legal requirements that prevent same-sex couples from legally marrying in Colorado. Beginning today, Colorado’s 64 county clerks are legally required to issue licenses to same-sex couples who request them.”

• Now, 25 states have the freedom to marry.

• Over 52% of Americans live in a state with marriage equality.

• The victories in the 4th, 7th, and 10th Circuits will now stand as precedent for all ongoing marriage equality litigation in states under those Circuits’ jurisdictions.

• Therefore, marriage equality will soon be the law of the land in 30 states including Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

• That would mean 60% of Americans will live in a state with marriage equality.

Furthermore, following the Court’s news, Missouri’s Democrat Attorney General Chris Koster announced the state would not appeal a recent state court decision which requires Missouri to recognize the lawful marriages of same-sex couples.

“At a time when Missouri is competing to attract the nation’s premier businesses and most talented employees, we should not demand that certain individuals surrender their marriage licenses in order to live and work among us. Missouri’s future will be one of inclusion, not exclusion.”

This is the second time a Federal Court of Appeals has heard the question of marriage equality. AFER brought its case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in December, 2011.

The three judge panel in Denver was made up of Judges Paul J. Kelly Jr., Carlos F. Lucero, and Jerome A. Holmes; a George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush respectively.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs-appellees, three same-sex couples, argued that even when the question of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry was held under the lowest level of scrutiny, the state’s marriage ban could not stand.

Lawyers representing the state argued that the decision must be left up to the state on the grounds of federalism.

The implications of this reach beyond whether to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Utah’s marriage ban was originally struck down by U.S. District Court Judge Robert R. Shelby on December 20, 2013. No stay was put in place until seventeen days later, and over 1,300 couples wed in that time.

The same three-judge panel will hear oral arguments in the Oklahoma marriage equality case, Bishop v. Smith, a week from today.