MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Gay couples began getting married in Alabama on Monday morning, despite an 11th-hour attempt from the state's chief justice — an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage— to block the weddings.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday morning refused to block the marriages and let a hold on the federal ruling striking the ban expire. Minutes later, Alabama became the 37th state where gays and lesbians can legally wed as probate judges began granting the licenses to couples, some of whom had been lined up for hours and exited courthouses to applause.