A landmark ruling Friday by the Supreme Court declared same-sex couples have the right to marry. That ruling though, was met with mixed reactions by residents and tourists in Warren County. 

The court issued the 5-4 decision Friday, paving the way for legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

“I think it’s great. It’s a big step and it’s a long time coming,” said Chelsea Stewart of Vicksburg.

Vicksburg visitor Susan Montgomery, visiting Vicksburg aboard the American Queen, also was pleased to hear the court’s decision.

“It’s about time. It’s wonderful. A lot of people will fight this, but it’s a step in the right direction for our country,” Montgomery, who is from Virginia, said.

“It’s only fair that there should be a lot of the same privileges. It’s time for our country to be progressive and I think the Supreme Court made the right decision,” Michael Montgomery said.

Another visitor to the city, Carolee Morris from Arizona, had mixed feelings about the court’s decision.

“I have mixed emotions. The Supreme Court’s ruling for me is questionable. My daughter goes to school in California and I know she’s all for it,” Morris said.

The ruling will put an end to same-sex marriage bans in the 14 states that still maintain them, Mississippi being one of them, and provide an exclamation point for breathtaking changes in the nation’s social norms in recent years.

As recently as last October, just over one-third of the states permitted gay marriages.

“I’m not in agreement with it,” Vicksburg resident The Rev. Dexter Jones said. “It’s an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Not matter what the Supreme Court says, marriage should always be between a man and a woman.”

Some people chose to remain neutral on the issue.

“I think it’s up to the person. Being a Christian, I think it’s not right, but it’s up to the person’s decision,” said Kenny Trawick, visiting Vicksburg from Texas.

The Court’s ruling elicited tears in the courtroom, euphoria outside and the immediate issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in county offices across the country.

In praise of the decision, President Barack Obama called it “justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.”

Four of the court’s justices weren’t cheering. The dissenters accused their colleagues of usurping power that belongs to the states and to voters, and short-circuiting a national debate about same-sex marriage.

The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side roughly three weeks to ask for reconsideration.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.