On Friday, US Attorney General Eric Holder gave his assurance to about 300 same-sex couples who got married in Michigan prior to a legal action by a federal appeals court that their marriages are legal, Fox News said. This means that the couples will be able to enjoy all the benefits the state accord to married couples, which include joint tax filings, spousal Social Security benefits and legal immigration status for partners.
Fox News said that this is not the first time Holder made this kind of announcement. Holder also did the same thing in Utah, when over a thousand same-sex couples were marred after a federal judge struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriages in December. US District Judge Bernard Friedman in Michigan has struck down the state's gay marriage ban earlier this month, which triggered a response from Holder.
It is to note that the announcement did not echo Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's view, who earlier said that the marriages will not be recognized by the state. He said that although he recognizes the fact that the same-sex couples' union were legal, the court's stay has forced him to also acknowledge the fact that the gay marriage ban has been restored.
Holder, citing, Snyder's statement, chose to side with the affected couples and said, "The Governor of Michigan has made clear that the marriages that took place on Saturday were lawful and valid when entered into, although Michigan will not extend state rights and benefits tied to these marriages pending further legal proceedings. For purposes of federal law, as I announced in January with respect to similarly situated same-sex couples in Utah, these Michigan couples will not be asked to wait for further resolution in the courts before they may seek federal benefits to which they are entitled."
Fox News said that since December of last year, courts in Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia has overturned the bans on same-sex marriages. A total of eighteen states, including Washington DC, issue licenses for same-sex couples planning to get married.
