Attorney General Holder Announces that the Government will Recognize Marriage Equality in Six Additional States

In a press release, Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed that the federal government will recognize same-sex married couples in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

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The Attorney General’s announcement means couples married in these states will now qualify for a range of federal benefits, including those administered by the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs.

“With each new state where same-sex marriages are legally recognized, our nation moves closer to achieving of full equality for all Americans,” the Attorney General said. “We are acting as quickly as possible with agencies throughout the government to ensure that same-sex married couples in these states receive the fullest array of benefits allowable under federal law.”

In addition, the Attorney General also announced that the Department of Justice has determined it can legally recognize marriages performed in Indiana and Wisconsin this past June. These marriages were performed immediately after federal district courts ruled that those states’ bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, but subsequent developments created confusion about the status of those marriages. Based on the Attorney General’s announcement, however, those couples married during that period will now have their unions recognized by the federal government.

Eric Holder believes the Country is ready to move forward with Marriage Equality

In an interview with NBC's Pete Williams, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the country is ready for marriage equality.

Eric stated:

Yeah, I think the country is ready for that. I think all the polls certainly show that. The reactions to the continuing number of court cases that have found same-sex marriage to be constitutionally mandated -- the polls have shown that the American people, I think, are prepared to accept that. Now this has been a sea change. This is something that has happened, I think, relatively quickly. Part of it is generational. I talk to my kids, who seem, no problems with this, no issues with this at all. But I think it's more than a generational change. I think that people who know folks who are gay, who are lesbian, and who are their friends, their coworkers, they see the moral side to this. Um, it's a civil-rights issue. From my perspective, it is the civil-rights issue of our day -- gay and lesbian equality."

I believe he's right!

Attorney General Eric Holder extends Full and Equal recognition to Married Same-Sex Couples

US Attorney General Eric Holder announced last night at a HRC gala, that the Justice Department will recognized all same-sex marriages under the law!



This is some big time stuff!

Please read Eric Holder's complete remarks here.