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SALT LAKE CITY — The federal government is expanding recognition of same-sex marriage and extending federal benefits to couples in Utah and six other states, the Justice Department said Friday.
“We will not delay in fulfilling our responsibility to afford every eligible couple, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, the full rights and responsibilities to which they are entitled," Attorney General Eric Holder said in statement.
The U.S. Supreme Court last week let stand rulings from three appeals courts that struck down bans on gay and lesbian marriages in Utah, Indiana, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin. The order allowed same-sex couples in those states to get married, though it didn't resolve the issue nationally.
In Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert and Attorney General Sean Reyes told state agencies to start recognizing same-sex marriages within hours of the Supreme Court decision.
Reyes also advised the state's 29 counties to make any necessary changes to forms and processes. County clerks issue marriage licenses in Utah.
Friday's announcement includes Nevada and Colorado, where the Justice Department says subsequent rulings have allowed the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages, according to the Associated Press.
The move brings the total number of states where gay and lesbian marriages have federal recognition to 26, plus the District of Columbia, the AP reported.
Holder said while federal appeals courts have so far been unanimous in finding that bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, if a disagreement does arise, the Supreme Court may address the question head on.
"If that happens, the Justice Department is prepared to file a brief consistent with its past support for marriage equality," he said.
In June, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby's ruling that struck down Utah's voter-approved 2004 law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The courts held that marriage is a fundamental right under the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Contributing: Associated Press
