Lesbian couples, pictured here, are now permitted to marry in the state (via Twitter/@CarlaCabiz)

The court made its decision based on the Equal Protection Clause of the state constitution, which allows for all people to attain equal benefits regardless of race, sex, or sexual preference. 

"Accordingly, New Mexico may neither constitutionally deny same-gender couples the right to marry nor deprive them of the rights, protections and responsibilities of marriage laws, unless the proponents of the legislation — the opponents of same-gender marriage — prove that the discrimination caused by the legislation is 'substantially related to an important government interest,'” said New Mexico Justice Edward L. Chavez. 

The state never prohibited same-sex marriage, but a marriage license did include requirements for a male and female to fill out.  

The trend in states legalizing same-sex marriage has occurred after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional last summer. Washington D.C. and 16 other states now permit same-sex marriage. 

Reach Executive Producer Jillian Morabito here.