California gay couples hoped SCOTUS would avoid same-sex marriage cases

The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to review California’s same-sex marriage ban disappointed some Golden State gay couples who would have been able to wed if the court refused to hear the case.

If the court had not taken the case, a federal appeals court ruling that had overturned the ban would have been the law of the state, opening the way to same-sex marriages in California and leaving the nation unchanged.

Now the Supreme Court could decide whether — or not — the U.S. Constitutional guarantees gays the right to marry.

The stakes are now higher, the wait is longer, and there is no certainty gay rights advocates will win.