While wedding bells are ringing on the East coast and many San Diegans are celebrating the victory toward marriage equality in Massachusetts, two openly gay local politicians are also reacting to the news with guarded optimism.

“We think it’s another step in this incredibly exciting phase of American history and political progress,” said State Assemblymember Christine Kehoe in a phone conversation with the Gay & Lesgian Times this week. “I think that the Supreme Court’s refusal to step in was a surprising turn of events but I’m glad that they made that decision, and we’ll have to wait for them to take the whole issue under advisement.”

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has already sought to prohibit out-of-state couples from marrying by citing a 1913 law previously used to stop interracial couples from marrying in the state.

“I think there are so many different angles on marriage equality, in state, out of state, full faith and credit, the constitutional issue. Yes, this issue will be with us for a long time to come,” Kehoe said, considering California’s own Proposition 22, which says California will not recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the state. “Until the matter is settled by the United States Supreme Court for the entire country, I think we’ll have hot spots flaring up over and over again.”

Here in San Diego, Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins also sees this as a time to rally in opposition to those who would seek to deny GLBT couples’ equality.

“This is truly a milestone for the LGBT community, and one which I’m sure many of us never thought we’d see in our lifetimes,” Atkins said in a statement to the Gay & Lesbian Times. “However, we need to realize that while we are celebrating our opponents will try to use this historic occasion to galvanize support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.”

All San Diego City Council members and county supervisors were asked by the Gay & Lesbian Times to comment about their personal positions on marriage in light of this week’s events in Massachusetts. Councilmember Jim Madaffer and supervisors Bill Horn and Greg Cox declined comment. Besides Atkins, all the others responded that they were unavailable for comment.

Conservative reactions to the same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts have been clear-cut. Focus on the Family Chairman Dr. James C. Dobson issued a press release calling same-sex marriage certificates “death certificates for the institution of marriage.” On Monday, the day licenses were first issued in Massachusetts, President Bush denounced same-sex marriage and called on Congress to once again pass his Federal Marriage Amendment to prevent “activist judges” from usurping the will of the people. That statement was made on the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. The Board of Education Supreme Court decision ending official segregation of schools in the South. In a speech talking about the Brown decision, Bush ironically praised the courage displayed by courts who “ruled against prevailing opinion in order to expand the rights of all Americans.”

“Now, more than ever, we need to register to vote and turn out in record numbers in November to defeat President Bush and any elected official that supports this misguided and discriminatory amendment,” Atkins added. “We need to band together, like never before, to put an end to the Bush Administration’s policies of division and exclusion, and replace them with ones that value unity, diversity and inclusion.”

Here in California, legislation proposed by Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry in the Golden State was tabled on Wednesday. Leno has vowed to bring the legislation back in the next session.

“Mr. Leno has said a number of times and to me just recently that without 41 votes in the affirmative he would not bring it to the Assembly floor,” Kehoe commented on the decision. “I think it’s been a huge step forward. Mark has gained a lot of support, even though it was controversial when it started, as social events and what is happening in community after community across the states has overtaken the nature of the bill and pushed it forward on its own momentum. Mark has gained support for all of the constitutional officers as well.”

Among those who have come out in support of Leno’s bill are House Speaker Fabian Nunez, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, State Treasurer Phil Angelides, State Controller Steve Westly and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.

“It’s a march of progress,” Kehoe said. “I think time is on our side and this issue is one that makes me feel proud and excited.”

Kehoe noted that she believes with the added support the bill will have a much better chance of passage when it is reintroduced next January.

“Same-sex marriage is about sharing, love, trust and commitment,” Atkins said in her statement. “Gay and lesbian Americans are citizens who pay taxes and protect and build our communities as police officers, firefighters, members of the military and as teachers, and they desire and deserve the same rights and protections as other Americans.

“So while we celebrate, we also need to make a commitment to each other and our community as a whole — a commitment to continue to fight this battle in every state until we receive full and equal rights as Americans.”