The chairman of Garden State Equality applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear two landmark court cases that have the potential to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals.

Steven Goldstein issued a statement after the nation’s high court announced earlier this afternoon that it will hear arguments on two court cases.

The high court will hear the California Proposition 8 case that could decide to reinstitute marriage equality in California, but also to legalize marriage equality across the country, Goldstein said. The court also said it will hear a case involving the constitutionality of much of the Defense of Marriage Act.

“We are simultaneously stunned and jubilant. The conventional wisdom was that the U.S. Supreme Court would take the safe and somewhat progressive route of not taking the Proposition 8 case, which would have restored marriage equality to California,” Goldstein said.

“This is one of the highest stakes developments in the civil rights history of our nation,” he said. “The United States Supreme Court may now legalize marriage equality throughout the land, or rule against us, including against restoring marriage equality in California.”