Hundreds of gay couples, wearing signs that said “Just Not Married,” showed up today at marriage license counters all over the United States in sign of protest for the fact that they were denied the right to marry in 48 states.

A wave of protests is expected throughout the U.S. as gay couples are taking marriage bureaus or county clerks' offices by storm. In San Francisco, where the same-sex marriage right was granted and lasted just five months, the couples who already tied the knot during that period also showed up at the protest to show their solidarity with the move.

The gay-marriage protests throughout the country are part of the 12th annual Freedom to Marry Week. The groups behind the protests are marriage-equality advocates Join the Impact and Marriage Equality USA.

In Las Vegas, the gay couples gathered to protest waved banners reading "Don't hate my love" and "No laws on love." Nevertheless, they were all turned away empty-handed. The marriage bureaus refused to give them marriage licenses and offered domestic partnerships instead.

In New York, the protests couldn’t have come at a better, or worse, time. This year, the state of New York looks into the Senate to pass legislation that might lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Gay marriage can not be performed in New York, but the same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions are recognized.

Lawmakers in New Jersey and Vermont are also facing pressure from gay rights activists to pass bills to legalize same-sex marriage.

Gay marriage is currently legal only in Massachusetts and Connecticut.