Same-sex marriage in Alaska can move forward after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected the state’s request to delay enforcement. The one-sentence order from the justices denying a stay means gays and lesbians could soon legally wed.

Less than an hour later, a federal judge in Wyoming did the same in that Western state.

Barring any continued legal intervention, that would make Alaska and Wyoming the 30th and 31st states to allow same-sex marriage, up from 19 states at the beginning of the month.

In Alaska, a federal judge in the state in recent days had ordered gays and lesbians be allowed to apply for marriage licenses and to wed after a normal three-day waiting period. But everything was on hold pending emergency action from the justices.

Some couples had begun applying for marriage licenses as early as Monday and in at least some cases, couples were married when they were granted expedited waivers.

Read more