US will recognize same-sex marriages performed in Michigan
Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that the federal government will recognize around 300 same-sex marriages performed in Michigan last weekend before a federal appeals court stayed a judge’s ruling.
Holder announced the decision today, report the Chicago Sun-Times and the Washington Post. The action means the couples will be able to file joint federal tax returns, get Social Security benefits for spouses and take advantage of other federal benefits for married couples.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder had said the marriages were legal but the state won’t recognize them while the case plays out in the courts. Holder said he was taking action so that “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.”
Holder also recognized same-sex marriages performed in Utah before the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay.
