It's not exactly news when a Republican endorses marriage equality, since it happens all the time. But this is a big deal: Former Sen. Alan Simpson, a fixture of Wyoming politics for decades, is now appearing in an ad for Freedom to Marry.
Though he's retired, Simpson is widely respected and still retains significant influence in state and national politics.
Unfortunately, Wyoming probably isn't going to be getting marriage equality anytime soon. There's a lawsuit in the state, but it's brand-new and isn't likely to be resolved anytime soon. Previous lawsuits have come and gone with little impact. And marriage-equality legislation has repeatedly failed.
But there's also good news: The latest polling puts public support firmly on the side of marriage equality, at 57 percent to 32 percent.
One of Wyoming's neighbors is a little further along with its litigation. Several months ago, a Utah court ruled that the state's ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional, and now an appeal of that ruling has reached the point of oral argument. Nearby Oklahoma is next, with oral argument on Thursday of this week. And then we can expect a ruling sometime in the coming weeks or months.
WATCH: