State leaders from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are reacting positively to the news that a U.S. District Court here in New York is the latest to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA.

There’s special relevance for it happening here in New York, given that the state is the largest to legalize same-sex marriage so far, doing so in June 2011.

In his statement, Cuomo once again called for the extension of marriage mights to gay couples across the country.

“In June 2011, New York State inspired the rest of the nation by becoming the largest state to achieve marriage equality. Today’s ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit provides further momentum for national progress on this important civil rights issue. What we did here in New York can only be the beginning, and we must continue to work together until all Americans are free to marry whom they love and are entitled to all of the rights and benefits of marriage equally, regardless of sexual orientation.”

Schneiderman, also, cheered the ruling. His office has been the lead on defending New York’s marriage law against challenges from religious groups.

“Today’s decision is a major step forward in the fight for equality. I am pleased that the court recognized that the federal Defense of Marriage Act lacks an adequate justification and violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. As we argued in our brief in this case, the court examined the proposed justifications for the statute with special care, both because the statute burdens gay and lesbian married couples, and because it intrudes on the traditional role of states in defining marriage. The State of New York has long recognized out-of-state, same-sex marriages, and the enactment of the Marriage Equality Act further cements our state’s position on this critical civil rights issue. My office will continue to fight every day to defend the fundamental guarantee of equal protection of the law for all New Yorkers.”

And Gillibrand, in a tweet, said she was “thrilled” to see the ruling strike down the law.

Still, same-sex marriage and LGBT issues in general have not received much oxygen this election cycle, despite President Obama say this summer he now favored marriage rights for gay couples and a record number of gay and lesbian candidates running for public office.

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