By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Pat Lagon, left, and Joe Melillo, in their screen-printing shop,
hail yesterday's ruling but know their lawsuit is far from resolved.

Ninia Baehr and Genora Dancel, who now live in Baltimore, said they never intended to catch the next flight back to Honolulu and make a beeline for the state Health Department for a marriage license.

"We always felt whoever lost this round would appeal back to the state Supreme Court," Baehr said.

Joe Melillo and Pat Lagon said there won't be any symbolic displays to demand a license. "We've waited 19 years to do it legally, we've never done it symbolically," Melillo said. At this point, "we don't feel any different because we still don't know."

Still, all three couples who sued in 1991 for the right to marry believe significant landmarks were reached yesterday. Chang's decision destroys what the state thought was its strongest argument: that there is "compelling interest" to prevent gay marriages, said Tammy Rodrigues, who with Antoinette Pregil are the third plaintiff couple.

"The state tried to show compelling interest by bringing in children and they couldn't prove that to the court," she said.

"The state had as much time as they wanted, they had all the money to use, they got to put on the best show they could," Baehr said.

"Not only did they not come up with a compelling reason, they weren't able to come up with any reason," she said. "If they had a trick up their sleeve, they would have used it by now."

If nothing else, the couples said, the ruling will make people who never gave much thought to same-sex marriages take notice and begin looking at the issues.Dancel said: "I hope this case is a starting point for people to destroy the fear, prejudice, hate and discrimination and see that we're part of all other parts of life as well."