Eric Holder Announces Federal Gov’t Will Recognize Utah’s Same-Sex Marriages

Eric Holder Announces Fed Gov’t Will Recognize Utah’s Same-Sex Marriages (Mediaite)

Four days after the Supreme Court put a hold on same-sex marriages in Utah, effectively preventing any further marriages until a federal appeals court has ruled on the law, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will recognize the marriages of approximately 1,300 couples who wed in the few weeks that it was legal.

Holder cited the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act in his video statement as a “historic step toward equality for all American families.” While Utah’s governor has said the state would not recognize the same-sex marriages that were granted over the last two weeks, Holder confirmed that, “for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages.”

“These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds,” Holder continued. “In the days ahead, we will continue to coordinate across the federal government to ensure the timely provision of every federal benefit to which Utah couples and couples throughout the country are entitled – regardless of whether they in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages.”