Tears, Cheers & Hugs: San Francisco Celebrates Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The streets of San Francisco are brimming with jubilation Friday after the Supreme Court made history with a decision to constitutionally allow same-sex couples to get married.

When the decision came down, emotions ran high. Crowds erupted in cheers for equal rights, along with tears for the difficult fight it took to get to this day.

"It's like a roller coaster," Barbara Brass said. "But we love it when it comes out this way."

She's been together with her partner Pat Thompson for 31 years. At the age of 80, Thompson came out to her southern Baptist family last year.

"Such a weight lifted off my shoulders, after all of those years of having to be careful what I said, who I talked to," she said.

Mayor Ed Lee said it was like the scales of justice tipping.

"Did you feel the Earth shake this morning?" he asked a crowd that gathered in front of a rainbow flag covered City Hall, where same-sex marriages began in 2004 -- a movement set into motion by then Mayor Gavin Newsom.

"What would you say to the people back in 2004 who said, this is never going to take off?" he said. "That I appreciate the critic. I wasn't convinced they were wrong when they said that. But I wasn't convinced they were right."

FULL TEXT SUPREME COURT OPINION: Justices Make Marriage Legal For All Couples Across U.S.

John Lewis and Stewart Gaffney were there in 2004, and there were the original plaintiffs in the State Supreme Court case against Prop 8.

'This is the dream come true," Gaffney said. "We're here, it's happening, it's reality. Marriage equality in all 50 states."

And the celebrations have only just began with the Pride Parade kicking off this weekend in San Francisco, in what will surely be one for the history books.

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• Same-Sex Marriage
• LGBTQ+
• San Francisco