Jubilation and confusion defined a week that started with the U.S. Supreme Court denying appeals from five states trying to retain bans on same-sex marriage.
Gay and lesbian couples rushed to marry as other court rulings followed, but temporary stays and a Supreme Court mix-up caused frustration in some states.
Eventually, there was joy as county clerks began issuing marriage licenses in states from Oklahoma to Nevada.
Same-sex weddings also took place in the nation’s South for the first time, crossing a threshold in the traditionally conservative region.
By week’s end, the number of states allowing gay marriage had jumped from 19 to about 32, although some are still trying to block the changes.