Gay Rights Activists Rejoice Shift in Marriage Law

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Robin Tyler and Diane Olson continue to celebrate President Barack Obama's order to stop defending the defense of marriage act in court. Tyler and Olson were two of the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in California.

"We were very joyous and we were pleasantly surprised," Diane Olson said.

The Defense of Marriage Act , enacted in 1996, bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages. President Obama announced Wednesday that the act blocks gay rights.

"How can you possibly defend something that is that unconstitutional," Robin Tyler said. "So he was finally brave enough to take the steps. This is the most exciting time in the history of our movement. This is the time when the walls are beginning to crack and come down."

But some conservatives denounced Obama's decision.

"The Obama Administration's decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act is irresponsible," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said in a press release. "It is a transparent attempt to shirk the department's duty to defend the laws passed by Congress."

But Tyler disagrees and said that the fight is not over.

"The fact is we need a need a comprehensive national, federal rights bill for LGBT people just like they did for African-American people in the sixties," Tyler said. "They need to know that we're not going away until we have all of our rights."