The U.S. government added six more states to the list of those whose same-sex marriages are recognized by the federal government following a recent Supreme Court decision to let such marriages continue.
Attorney General Eric Holder said today that the federal government would now recognize same-sex marriages in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming. It also will recognize marriages performed in Indiana and Wisconsin in June when the legal status of such marriages was unclear.
The Justice Department's announcement followed the Supreme Court declining to review rulings from three federal appeals courts that had struck down bans on same-sex marriage, the Justice Department said in a release. Last week, Holder made a similar announcement for seven other states: Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The Justice Department's move means that same-sex spouses married in those states now qualify for federal benefits, including those from the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs.
The announcement brings the total number of states where same-sex couples are recognized by the federal government to 32, plus the District of Columbia.
