With the Supreme Court striking down California's Proposition 8 on Wednesday in one of two historic rulings that were victories for the gay community, President Obama was among the first to officially congratulate the plaintiffs.
Kris Perry and Sandra Stier, the couple who brought the case that is now paving the way for gay couples to marry in the Golden State, were being interviewed by MSNBC when they and coplaintiffs Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami received a surprise phone call from the commander in chief.
Obama was heard praising them on camera for carrying the fight for equal rights all the way to the nation's highest court and winning, and lauded them for their "courage" and "helping out a whole lot of people."
"We're proud of you guys, and we're so glad," POTUS said from Air Force One, where he's just embarked on a trip to Africa.
The couples ended the call by inviting Obama to their wedding in California.
The prez meanwhile took to Twitter to offer his reaction to the Supreme Court's decision, tweeting, "Today's DOMA ruling is a historic step forward for #Marriage Equality. #LoveIsLove."
He also issued a statement on the White House website commending the court for declaring DOMA unconstitutional.
"I applaud the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal—and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."
(E! and MSNBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)