Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Utah may be in quandary over same sex marriage, but the federal government recognizes as legitimate those that have already taken place.
The Obama administration on Friday said that it would recognize as lawful the marriages of 1,300 same-sex couples in Utah, even though the state government is refusing to do so.
Wading into the fast-moving legal battle over same-sex marriage rights in one of America’s most socially conservative states, the administration posted a video on the Justice Department’s website making the announcement. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said that the federal government would grant federal marriage benefits to the same-sex couples who rushed to obtain marriage licenses after a federal judge last month unexpectedly struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage.
“I am confirming today 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,” Mr. Holder said in the video. “These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds.”
Well that is good news for those who were concerned that their marriages may be in legal limbo until Utah gets its act together.
And once again let me say that Utah may be in the throes of some kind of inner turmoil, but ultimately we all know that they will, like every other state at some point in time, allow marriage equality in their state.
Progress may get interrupted, but ultimately it arrives, whether people are ready to accept it or not.
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