When people arguing over Don't Ask, Don't Tell or same-sex marriage invoke public opinion, who's got the numbers on their side? Is America still wary of equal rights for gays or increasingly tolerant? Well, Leah Christian has studied public opinion on these issues. She is senior researcher at the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

While the ruling is a disappointment to many gay marriage advocates, legal scholars say it may be more beneficial to them in the long run.

The decision by three judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upsets gay couples in California who had hoped to wed when a temporary hold expired Wednesday. But a legal expert says the ruling could be a strategic victory for Prop. 8 opponents.