US Supreme Court rules gay marriage is legal nationwide. The US Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a legal right across the United States. It means the 14 states (provinces) with bans on same-sex marriage will no longer be able to enforce them. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the plaintiffs asked, "for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." The ruling brings to an end more than a decade of bitter legal battles. Same-sex couples in several affected states including Georgia, Michigan, Ohio and Texas rushed to wed on Friday, However officials in other states, including Mississippi and Louisiana, said marriages had to wait until procedural issues were sorted. In the United States, there are two sets of laws. There are federal laws that cover the whole country, but other laws differ according to state. The first state to allow same-sex marriage was Massachusetts, which granted the right in 2004. In recent years, a wave of legal rulings and a dramatic shift in public opinion have expanded gay marriage to other states across the country. However, Christian conservatives condemned the decision because it goes against their religious beliefs. Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee called it, "an out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny". Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, a state where marriages licenses will now be issued to same-sex couples, said the justices, "have imposed on the entire country their personal views on an issue that the Constitution and the Court's previous decisions reserve to the people of the states." Many American conservatives feel that marriage should only be allowed between a man and a woman. others say that the state laws should decide and the Court should stay out of the decision. Loud cheers erupted outside the court after the ruling was announced, and there were tears, hugs, and cheers of, "USA USA USA!" Thousands of rainbow flags overwhelmed the few anti-gay marriage activists who reacted in disbelief, and the demonstration seemed to turn into a street party. Cars drove past honking as thousands cheered the decision. Many stayed out celebrating all night, especially in Washington D.C. Minutes after the ruling, couples in one of the states that had a ban, Georgia, lined up in hope of being wed. On social media, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton merely tweeted the word, "proud", and the White House changed its Twitter avatar into the rainbow colors. President Barack Obama said the ruling was a victory for America. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.