U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) announced her support for same-sex marriage in a Facebook post today.

“After much thought and prayer, I have come to my own personal conclusion that we shouldn’t tell people who they can love or who they can marry,” Hagan posted.

Hagan’s announcement could not have come too soon to many college students in North Carolina. Thousands of students mobilized last May against Amendment One-an amendment to the state constitution that defined marriage between a man and a woman as the only legal civil union.

But this isn’t just a North Carolina issue. The Supreme Court began oral arguments today on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman on a federal level.

The Supreme Court won’t make a decision until June, but North Carolina legislators are beginning to.

Activists in North Carolina have been putting progressive pressure on the junior senator to make a stand for gay marriage equality. Many were skeptical that Hagan would adopt a definitive position on the issue. They feared Hagan might not publicly support gay marriage, even though she voiced opposition to Amendment One last year, because she was one of a few Democratic senators holding out-until today.

Several recent national polls show the majority of the nation approves of same-sex marriage, particularly among college-age North Carolinians. A Washington Post poll shows 81 percent of Americans age 18 to 24 favor marriage equality. Even several Republicans have announced their support, in part due to the party’s push to re-brand themselves to appeal to a larger voter base.