History was made in New York State on June 24, as the New York Senate passed a same-sex marriage bill and Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it, resulting in the Marriage Equality Act. New York is the sixth state to legalize same sex marriage.

The celebration for same-sex couples started at midnight on July 24, when Niagara Falls was lit with the colors of a rainbow to celebrate the marriage of Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd, as reported by The New York Times’ Thomas Kaplan. This marriage symbolized what thousands upon thousands of people in New York State would soon be experiencing, a long-awaited celebration and acknowledgement of love in front of family, friends, and most importantly, the law.

This monumental act of legislation was celebrated not only by couples and their families and friends, but also by respected city officials and everyday citizens. “It really is a great day for all of us who believe in inclusiveness and equal rights for everybody,” Binghamton’s mayor, Matthew T. Ryan said, according to MSNBC.com.

Ms. Eileen Lind, the adviser of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Massapequa High School, echoed these sentiments. “This summer, New York became the sixth and largest state in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage! This is a big step for the LGBT community and I hope that NY’s passing of this law will encourage the remaining states to follow this lead.”

Of course, with the inclusion of same-sex marriage also comes the inclusion of same-sex divorce. Same-sex couples are no less imperfect than opposite-sex couples, as a 2008 study from the University of California Los Angeles shows that both types of unions have a nearly identical divorce rate of about two percent.

MSNBC’s Thomson Reuters reported that the equivalence of homosexual and heterosexual marriage proceedings also comes the equivalence of divorce proceedings, meaning that homosexual divorces will be dealt with in New York’s Domestic Relations Law, instead of having to be determined by the decisions of individual judges. Essentially, the process has just reached a level of normalcy.

However, regardless of this normalcy and beneficial change to equality, opposition still exists. Town clerks in various rural communities resigned, feeling that their respective religions would have made them unable to marry same-sex couples. The separation of church and state as outlined in the United States Constitution has not stopped religious convictions from getting in the way of United States citizens’ happiness. Protesters have been frequently found outside of town halls where many couples are signing their marriage licenses.

Furthermore, Kaplan reported that the New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms have plans to file a lawsuit against the State Senate in an attempt to overturn the Marriage Equality Act. Their complaint depicts that the State Senate violated procedure by closing the Senate lobby to the public leading up to the vote on the marriage bill; it also criticizes Governor Andrew Cuomo for declaring the act to be a necessity and thereby calling for an immediate vote, instead of allowing the bill to “age” for three days. Nevertheless, John Vlasto, Governor Cuomo’s spokesman, insists that the case is frivolous, stating, “The plaintiffs lack a basic understanding of the laws of the state of New York.”

The Marriage Equality Act in New York has even had repercussions in places such as Florida, the Associated Press reports that a central Florida teacher wrote on his Facebook page that he “almost threw up” when watching news coverage of the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. The teacher, Jerry Buell, defended himself by saying the post was “about the way I interpret things.” Buell was suspended from the classroom and now the district must deliberate as to whether he violated the school’s code of conduct.

Despite the constant opposition by outspoken conservatives, same-sex marriage is still legal in New York State and maintains support by countless citizens. The legalization of same-sex marriage also puts to rest the civil unions in New York State between same-sex couples, which provided them with all benefits of marriage except the ability to sign a marriage license.

“If two people love each other, why not let them sign that little slip of paper?”  senior Annie Kelly said, “I thought this country was founded on the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not bigotry and intolerance.”

She echoes the beliefs of many LGBT rights activists and shows that the next step is for activists to keep pushing for similar legislation to be passed in other states, and eventually the country as a whole.

New York is currently the largest state with same-sex marriage legalized, and the trend is expected to spread to neighboring state New Jersey. As Yale historian George Chauncey stated, “It’s a huge step forward, and yet it doesn’t erase the fact that there’s so many roadblocks facing advocates of marriage equality.” Thus, the battle for marriage equality is not over, but New York remains victorious.