NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen's decision Thursday makes Virginia the second state in the South to issue a ruling recognizing the legality of gay marriages.

A judge in Kentucky ruled Wednesday that the state must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. It did not rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriages inside the state, however. The Virginia judge's ruling also follows similar decisions in Utah and Oklahoma federal courts.

Wright stayed her decision until an appeals court rules, meaning that gay couples will not be able to marry in the state immediately.