Attorney General Eric Holder on
Saturday announced that the Justice Department will treat the
marriages of gay and lesbian couples equal to those of their straight
counterparts.
“On Monday, I will issue a new policy
memorandum that will – for the first time in history – formally
instruct all Justice Department employees to give lawful same-sex
marriages full and equal recognition, to the greatest extend possible
under the law,” Holder told a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) audience
in New York.
“In every courthouse, in every
proceeding and in every place where a member of the Department of
Justice stands on behalf of the United States, they will strive to
ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges,
protections and rights as opposite-sex marriages under federal law,”
he added.
As a result of the policy change, gay
spouses cannot be compelled to testify against each other, qualify to
file for joint bankruptcy and will receive equal privileges in
federal prisons.
Holder said the changes will “give
real meaning to the Windsor decision,” a reference to June's
Supreme Court ruling which struck down a key provision of the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibited the federal government from
recognizing the legal marriages of gay couples.
Chad Griffin, president of HRC, the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, applauded the announcement.
“This landmark announcement will
change the lives of countless committed gay and lesbian couples for
the better,” Griffin
said in a statement. “While the immediate effect of these
policy decisions is that all married gay couples will be treated
equally under the law, the long-term effects are more profound.
Today, our nation moves closer toward its ideals of equality and
fairness for all. Attorney General Holder continues to show
incredible leadership, and this latest action cements his place in
history alongside Robert F. Kennedy, another Attorney General who
crusaded for civil rights.”