We woke up to some tremendous news Wednesday morning, as Maryland’s Attorney General Doug Gansler issued a legal opinion that Maryland could start recognizing marriages performed out of state, much like New York or California.

Equality California was a plaintiff in the state Supreme Court case that upheld the marriages of the 18,000 same-sex couples married in California before Prop. 8 passed. EQCA subsequently sponsored SB 54, the out-of-state couples bill authored by Sen. Mark Leno, which also clarifies that couples married out-of-state before Prop. 8 passed are legally married in this state, and that couples married afterwards are entitled to equal protection and all the rights and benefits of marriage.

It’s unfortunate that states like Maryland, New York and California do not currently allow same-sex couples to actually get married within their borders, but it’s a good sign that they uphold their obligations to recognize marriages performed elsewhere.