How long will it be until gay marriage is legal everywhere in the United States?

If recent events are anything to judge by, it could be sooner than you think.

Last Thursday, a federal judge struck down Virginia’s ban on gay marriage in the latest of a series of court rulings that have invalidated state constitutional provisions in conservative states like Utah and Oklahoma.

According to these judges, gay marriage bans amount to state-sponsored discrimination that is prohibited by the 14th Amendment.

These rulings have all relied in part on the Supreme Court’s decision last year in United States v. Windsor to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which required the federal government to only recognize marriages between a man and a woman.

The Virginia decision was stayed pending appeal — meaning that gay couples in Virginia can’t get married until a higher court affirms the decision.

But if the appeals of these decisions reach the Supreme Court, it could finally resolve the controversial issue nationwide. The same court majority that ruled for gay Americans in Windsor could establish a right to gay marriage in all 50 states.

Will the Supreme Court settle the question of gay marriage once and for all? Are states like Utah ready to accept gay marriage?