CEDAR FALLS - Three and a half hours after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa Friday, Michelle Garris and Shannon McMurrin were at the Black Hawk County Courthouse.

Although the Waterloo couple learned they won't be able to file for a marriage license until April 24 - when the court's ruling becomes final - the trip was still satisfying, marking a change in the way the women view their union and themselves.

"I hadn't realized how much I had internalized a second-class citizen mentality until today," Garris said that afternoon at a celebratory rally on the University of Northern Iowa campus . "But as I was walking out of the grocery store and looking at other people, I just thought: 'I'm the same as you now. I have the rights you have.'"

The Varnum v. Brien decision made Iowa the first Midwest state to grant full legal standing to gay and lesbian couples and only the third state nationally to confer marital status to same-sex partners. Although the ruling could be challenged through a constitutional amendment, legislative leaders said it's not likely they'll address the issue in the 2009 session.

That was welcome news for the roughly 120 gay activists and their allies who applauded the precedent-setting decision at a 3 p.m. gathering outside Mauker Union. Supporters toted signs proclaiming "Equality for All," "Straight but not Narrow" and "Corn-fed and Ready to Wed." Attendees were encouraged to share their thoughts, with each speaker earning hearty applause from the crowd.

Larissa Pray, a 24-year-old UNI student, received hugs and high-fives from strangers as she walked across campus following the ruling.

"This means equal rights for all Iowans," said Pray, who sported rainbow-colored earrings at the rally. "… I never thought I'd be able to get married, so this is big for me. It's big for all of us."

Many activists said the decision reflected society's growing acceptance of gay and lesbian couples.

"I think today's unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court sends a great message to our state that everybody was on board with this decision," said Justin Uebelhor, communications director for One Iowa, a gay rights advocacy group based in Des Moines. "The court clearly saw that fairness and equality were not being upheld by the current law."

Still, gay marriage in Iowa will likely face legislative challenges in the years ahead.

Matt Reisetter, a Cedar Falls resident and development director for the Iowa Family Policy Center in Des Moines, said the court "overstepped its bounds" in reversing Iowa's 10-year-old law defining marriage as a union between a man and woman.

"This issue now falls squarely on the shoulders of 151 people in Iowa - 50 senators, 100 representatives and Governor Culver …," he said, noting that a Constitutional amendment could counter the court's decision. "There's no secret to our game plan and that is to convince the legislature that they need to take the role that they were designed for back from the judicial branch, who has hijacked it from them."

But rewriting the law of the land takes time. In Iowa, a constitutional amendment must pass two consecutive general assemblies before the issue is forwarded to the ballot box. Given those restrictions, the earliest voters could weigh in on same-sex marriage would be 2011. So for now, gays and lesbians will be eligible for the same state marriage rights as their heterosexual counterparts, allowing individuals to share insurance benefits and make medical decisions for their spouses.

That thought excites Michelle Garris, who will be back at the courthouse with her partner on April 24th to file for a marriage license.

"I'm feeling euphoria right now," she said after Friday's rally. "I've been crying on and off. This is truly an awesome day."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.