A look at what’s next after SD gay marriage ban struck down

FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2014 file photo, same-sex marriage supporters rally outside the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Sioux Falls, S.D. A federal judge on Monday, Jan. 12, 2015 declared South Dakota's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, but stayed the decision pending appeal. (AP Photo/The Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn, File) NO SALES FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2014 file photo, same-sex marriage supporters rally outside the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Sioux Falls, S.D. A federal judge on Monday, Jan. 12, 2015 declared South Dakota's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, but stayed the decision pending appeal. (AP Photo/The Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn, File) NO SALES

By Associated Press January 13, 2015 3 min read

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A federal judge in South Dakota has ruled the state’s ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional, but the decision doesn’t mean gay couples can immediately wed.

Some questions and answers about the decision Monday:

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Q: WHAT’S THE GIST OF THE LAWSUIT?

A: Six same-sex couples filed the federal complaint in May in Sioux Falls challenging a 1996 law passed by the Legislature and a voter-approved 2006 constitutional amendment banning gay marriages in South Dakota.