Today, Minnesota will become the twelfth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
At a 5 p.m. Capitol public signing ceremony, Gov. Mark Dayton will ink a law that makes gay marriage legal. The law will make it legal for same-sex couples to make their unions legally official after August 1.
Afterwards, supporters will troop over to 375 Wabash Street North in downtown St. Paul for a street party and concert.
The events bring to a close, for now, a long and divisive fight over marriage.
For more than a decade, supporters of defining marriage as only the union of one man and one woman have battled to get that definition into the Minnesota constitution. In 2011, the Legislature approved the ballot measure but the next year Minnesota voters rejected it, paving the way for supporters of same sex marriage to push their case.
Last week, in a 75-59 vote the House approved legalization. The Senate followed suit on Monday in a 37-30 vote.
For supporters, the approval touched off tearful relief, parties and plans for summer weddings.
For opponents, it ushered in disappointment, sorrow and predictions of voter reprisals.
