On June 26, 2013, Section 3 of that law was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case of Windsor v. United States. Almost overnight, legally married same-sex couples whose marriages had been recognized where they lived were suddenly recognized by the federal government. They gained access to 1,138 federal programs, benefits and protections that they had previously been denied. Perhaps even more important is the fact that the majority ruling in Windsor contained arguments that other federal and state courts could have used to justify legalizing marriage equality. Within a few months, there were lawsuits seeking marriage equality in every state where gay marriage took place