June 26--REPORTING FROM NASHVILLE -- Bleu Copas had waited long enough, and he wasn't going to wait any longer. Within minutes of the Supreme Court ruling Friday that affirmed same-sex marriage as a constitutional right, Copas was on his way to get a marriage license for himself and his longtime boyfriend, Ricky Shaw.
"Oh, my God. I am elated," Copas said as he set out, first for home to pick up Shaw, and then to the county clerk's office. "To be honest, in this moment I feel more American than I've ever felt," said Copas, an Army veteran.
Read the full Supreme Court decision on gay marriage
Across the South, though, elation was tempered with anger among opponents who view marriage as a sacred institution between a man and a woman and say that opening it to gay couples violates biblical teachings.
Even among supporters of same-sex marriage, there were concerns that they could face resistance from court clerks, judges and businesses. Some have vowed to ignore the ruling.
In Alabama, Elmore County Probate Judge John Enslen, one of the most vocal opponents of same-sex marriage, has said he would rather go to jail than allow gay couples to marry in his county.
"A federal court can sentence me to life in prison, and I will still never perform a so-called same-sex marriage," Elmore said in a video posted by the Montgomery Advertiser earlier this year. Enslen, who reiterated his feelings last month, added in the video: "I hear people saying that I need to be on the right side of history. My reply to that is this: In the end, God is always on the right side of history."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott accused the Supreme Court of overstepping its power and acting as "an unelected nine-member legislature," and indicated his state would not recognize the court's decision.
"Despite the Supreme Court's rulings, Texans' fundamental right to religious liberty remains protected. No Texan is required by the Supreme Court's decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage," Abbott said in a statement.
"I will continue to defend the religious liberties of all Texans -- including those whose conscience dictates that marriage is only the union of one man and one woman," Abbott said. "Later today, I will be issuing a directive to state agencies instructing them to prioritize the protection of Texans' religious liberties."
Other officials indicated that they were waiting to hear from higher-ups how to respond to the ruling, raising concerns among same-sex marriage advocates of foot-dragging that could delay couples' hopes of being wed quickly.
"We can't do anything until we have a directive from the [South Dakota] State Department," Donna Mayer, the registrar of deeds in Pennington County, S.D., said when asked if it would begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. "We're just waiting until we get instructions."
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard said in a statement that he would have preferred the change to "come through the democratic process, rather than the courts."
But he said his state would follow the law. "I will be working with the attorney general to ascertain what this ruling means for state and local governments," Daugaard said.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican presidential candidate, was similarly grudging in his acceptance of the court's decision.
"Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage," Bush said. "I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe we should love our neighbor and respect others, including those making lifetime commitments.
"In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side," he said. "It is now crucial that as a country, we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate."
Fellow Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, hinted that he would fight the ruling. Jindal called marriage an institution between a man and a woman. "And no earthly court can alter that," he said.
"The government should not force those who have sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage to participate in these ceremonies. That would be a clear violation of America's long-held commitment to religious liberty as protected in the 1st Amendment," Jindal said. "I will never stop fighting for religious liberty and I hope our leaders in D.C. join me."
Taking the opposite view was Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, who called the ruling a "major victory for equality and an important step toward a fairer and more just society for all Americans."
"No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. In the coming days, I will be taking all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure this decision is implemented throughout the state of Missouri," Nixon said.
Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project said outright refusal to follow the court's ruling combined with foot-dragging could make the path to same-sex weddings treacherous across the South, traditionally the nation's most conservative and religious region.
Sanders said support for same-sex marriage in Tennessee had fallen since last November, according to a recent poll by Vanderbilt University. The poll indicated that 52% of Tennessee voters "strongly oppose" marriage equality, compared with 47% who felt that way in November.
Several things have to happen for same-sex couples to marry in states that have fought gay weddings, he said. The most important are that state attorney generals must give the go-ahead to county clerks to issue same-sex licenses, and states must provide updated paperwork to county clerks.
"Neither of those things should take long, but the states don't run on my timetable, so we don't know," Sanders said.
Copas said he knew he might face resistance in his mission to obtain his marriage license, so he had a back-up plan to apply in another county if his first attempt failed.
"Their process probably hasn't been ironed out," Copas said of the clerks. "I'm willing to watch that happen. I know how long I've waited. I knew even personally, it took me years to come to terms with who I am. So to expect someone to get it immediately, I think would be unreasonable. I'm just hoping for a respectful afternoon."
Still, Copas, who said he was forced out of the Army in 2006 for being gay, cannot afford to be too patient. He and Shaw plan to marry July 4.
He was at work, staring at the Supreme Court's website in anticipation of the ruling, when he learned the news.
In Dallas, Mark Phariss, 55, one of the lead plaintiffs in the case the Supreme Court decided Friday, was at the airport waiting to fly to Austin for a news conference with his partner of nearly 18 years, Victor Holmes, 45.
"Once we started reading, we realized we had won," said Phariss, a corporate lawyer. "We both started crying. My hands are still shaking."
He said he thought of his late parents, whose 74th anniversary would have been last Monday.
"I've always been able to celebrate wedding anniversaries for others. I'm now finally going to be able to celebrate my own," Phariss said.
After the news conference, the couple planned to fly back to Dallas to get a marriage license at the Dallas County courthouse, then attend a rally at the Cathedral of Hope and join supporters in the Cedar Springs area for a celebration.
Phariss knows Abbott, the Texas governor, opposes same-sex marriage, as do many other state leaders. They don't need to change their opinions, he said. They just need to respect his.
"They should respect my choices and I'll respect theirs," Phariss said, adding, "I just encourage them to accept the finality of this outcome."
The news also pleased Kristin and Jennifer Seaton-Rambo, students who married last year in Arkansas when same-sex marriage was briefly legal in that state. Since their wedding, the state's recognition of such weddings had been tied up in legal limbo.
The high court's ruling ends that limbo, Kristin Seaton-Rambo said in a telephone interview. "Our family will have protection now."
Both women said acceptance of same-sex marriage could no longer be denied, and would lead to a more tolerant world.
"I think the same-sex marriage movement is continuing and will continue to spread," Jennifer Seaton-Raambo said. "I feel it will eliminate the cycle of hate by accepting one another throughout the world."
Times staff writers Michael Muskal and Natalie Schachar in Los Angeles, Maria L. LaGanga in Seattle and Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.
