Yesterday, the Supreme Court made a historic decision which has made marriage a reality for same-sex couples in the United States.

The United States’ highest court made history when it refused to hear same-sex marriage appeals challenging marriage equality in five states – Indiana, Utah, Virginia, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. By rejecting the appeals, the bans that had been struck down in each state are now being upheld,  declaring those marriage restrictions as unconstitutional.

With this decision, it is expected that more states will follow suit in a matter of days, with Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia bringing the total number of states that recognise same-sex marriage up to 30.

“The Supreme Court justices are very smart people. I don’t think they’re going to be able to put the genie back in the bottle,” said Amy Howe, editor of a Supreme Court blog.

“Keep on doing what you’re doing. We may not be ready to proclaim a national constitutional right to same-sex marriage, but we’re not going to stop you from doing it on a state-by-state basis.”

Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, remains sceptical however, saying, “It’s not a done deal until it’s done.”

“Couples shouldn’t have to fight state by state, or year by year for the freedom to marry,” he added.