Some of the effects of the Supreme Court's decision not to hear appeals on same-sex marriage bans are immediate.
Same-sex couples can get married in states such as Indiana where it was previously illegal. Along with that, they can receive all the state benefits for married couples.
There are also longer-term effects, though, especially for future generationsfor children like Abbey MacPherson-Stolen.
'We Always Were A Family'
Monday, when the court decision was announced, Abbey's parents Steven Stolen and Rob MacPherson were preparing to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary. The decision meant Indiana would be required to recognize their marriage, which was already recognized in California where they got married.Â
Emotionally, feelings aren't changed because we always were a family.
-Abbey MacPherson-Stolen
"It's almost like we're getting married again and again today. I guess maybe that's what that must be like. It was like another wedding day for us, and that's pretty exciting," Stolen said.
Stolen and Macpherson were two of the plaintiffs in the case challenging Indiana's ban on same-sex marriage. During a press conference at the American Civil Liberties Union with their fellow plaintiffs, they said one of the main reasons for joining the lawsuit was their daughter.
This week was not that different than any other week for 16-year-old Abbey. After coming home from school, she plays a couple songs on the guitar. Later this evening, she'll have dinner with her dads.
"Emotionally, feelings aren't changed because we always were a family."
But she says she recognizes the Supreme Court's ruling has significantly changed things for other families who now might be seen as equals in their communities.
"I think in today's society it's better to have a family that can honestly feel like a family in the eyes of the government and to the people around them," Abbey says.
The Supreme Court's decision does put same-sex couples on equal footing legally, but it hasn't necessarily changed the opinions of Americans or Hoosiers.
The Supreme Court's Impact In Schools
Opponents of same-sex marriage like Ryan McCann say they stand by their beliefs and are worried about the consequences the court's decision could have on future generations.
"We appreciate that everyone can love children and there's so many people that love kids in this state and we appreciate that but we understand that all the love in the world can't make a mom a dad or a dad a mom," he says.
McCann adds his group is worried children will start being taught in school that same-sex relationships are the same as heterosexual relationships.
"You look at states that have same-sex marriage currently. In those public school systems, homosexuality as its involved in the family is discussed. There's moral equivalence between homosexuality and heterosexuality," he says. "Even the  topic and bringing up that and talking about that in a positive light is going to offend a lot of Hoosiers who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle and certainly don't want their children exposed to those topics at young ages."
LGBT youth advocates say that kind of discussion is actually beneficial to children and could help reduce bullying for LGBT children.
They also warn that will not happen automatically with the Supreme Court's ruling.
"That they've just seen themselves being able to be full-fledged citizens is significant, but what they're dealing with is not going to change right now," says Mary Byrne, the executive director of the Indianapolis-based organization the Indiana Youth Group. "I think that it's encouraging everyone who knows someone who is gay to be more of an ally. It's a snowball, and I see that snowball continuing until the point where hopefully when these kids grow up, maybe the next generation will just be nothing."
The Legal Battle Continues
The social battle is still ongoing, and people on both sides of the debate say the legal battle likely isn't over either.Â
What we are really battling about is our kids and what kind of world we want our kids to grow up in.
- Matthew Myer Boulton
Gay rights advocates say gaining the right for same-sex couples to marry is a huge victory, but they cannot stop until they are seen as equal citizens.
For many, that means not being denied services just because they are gay.
That is why in some states where same-sex marriage is legal, couples for example, have sued business owners who do not believe they should provide services for same-sex weddings.
McCann says that is an unfortunate development because, he says, for many conservatives providing those services would violate their conscience. Instead, of court battles, he urges gay rights advocates to respect their religious beliefs.
"I would love to see an environment where that didn't occur and people with different views agree to disagree," he says. "I think on our side of the aisle we've tried to do that for 10 years now, and unfortunately those who have wanted to have continued to push the agenda. They have continued to push to overturn our state laws and now are pushing for folks, small businesses a lot of different areas to accept their viewpoint or go to court."
Legal experts say those kinds of court cases aren't likely to go far in Indiana though because there isn't a federal or state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"So many of these battles between adults, what we are really battling about is our kids and what kind of world we want our kids to grow up in," Matthew Myer Boulton, the president of Christian Theological Seminary, said after a celebration for same-sex couples on Monday.
Boulton says there are still many issues that need to be worked out between Hoosiers and the Supreme Court's decision provides an opportunity to do that.
"We should be very careful that as we model civil discourse between grownups to model that for our kids because that's the world that we want them to grow up into too-a world where we can disagree, where we don't demonize the other side, or use religion as a weapon," he says.
Years from now, Byrne says she does not expect these kinds of debates to be an issue.
"This generation coming up doesn't see sexual orientation as any reason to separate themselves from that person because of that difference," she says. "It is a no big deal for most of them. They've gone to school with other kids that are gay. They like those kids. It's kind of a 'so-what.'"
