Longtime gay couples in San Diego were making wedding plans, holding back tears and giving each other big hugs Thursday in the wake of the State Supreme Court's decision to declare the state's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional.

Chris Pratt, 38, and Dan McKean, 42, plan to marry – again. They tied the knot in 2004 when Oregon's Multnomah County began granting marriage licenses for same-sex couples.

The North Park couple, who have been together 14 years, were living in Redmond, Wash., at the time. Later, a constitutional amendment was passed nullifying the marriages.

Thursday's news gave them hope that they can get married and stay married. “It's a game-changer,” McKean said.

Advocates for same-sex marriage say it provides legal protection above and beyond domestic partnerships and makes unions more legitimate. Some talked of how, when a partner dies, family members swoop in and take property, disregarding the other partner's wishes.

Reaction from the religious community was generally divided along theological lines, with conservatives condemning the decision and liberals praising it.

“I'm very disappointed,” said Jim Garlow, pastor of the Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego. He called the ruling an example of “judicial activism,” and said it would inspire more people to join the effort to make such marriages illegal.

“This battle is not over,” he said, noting the push to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would permit marriage only between a man and a woman.

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