A federal appeals court upheld the ruling that Oklahoma's gay-marriage ban was unconstitutional Friday. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court ruled the same way as a June case involving Utah -- that the Constitution protects same-sex marriage and the states' bans are in violation.

The Denver-based court decided in a 2-1 vote to uphold the ruling but immediately placed the decision on hold. This means same-sex couples cannot legally get married in Oklahoma.

The lawsuit was filed with the Tulsa County clerk, whose attorneys were still considering what to do after the ruling was announced Friday. Brian Babione, senior attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, who is defending the county clerk, said, "Every child deserves a mom and a dad, and the people of Oklahoma confirmed that at the ballot box when they approved a constitutional amendment that affirmed marriage as a man-woman union."

However, supporters of gay marriage are organizing rallies to celebrate the victory that this ruling represents.

"We're excited that Oklahoma will be counted among the places where all of its citizens are treated equally," Toby Jenkins, the executive director of Oklahomans for Equality, said. "It's also a chance to celebrate for this whole state and to bring us forward, as this country moves on, in recognition of the equality and dignity that marriage confers on same-sex couples and to become a part of the mainstream that is happening across this country."

While 17 states now have had courts side with gay marriage, two significant ban strike-downs were in the conservative states of Utah and Oklahoma, whose marriage bans were ruled against in December and January, respectively. In Utah, more than 1,000 couples rushed to marry before the Supreme Court issued a stay.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 19 states as well as the District of Columbia. Recent polls show the majority of Americans support legalizing it.