Loretta Lynch Says She's Committed To Gay Rights As Supreme Court Considers Marriage Bans

Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Tuesday said that she and the Department of Justice are committed to gay rights.

“I am committed – as is this department – to ensuring equal dignity and equal treatment for all members of society, regardless of sexual orientation,” she said in a statement.

Lynch released the statement on the same day that the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging bans on gay marriage in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and Michigan.

(Related: Supreme Court justices appear divided on gay marriage.)

“As we argue today before the Supreme Court, same-sex couples deserve that treatment now,” she added.

On Monday, The 55-year-old Lynch was sworn in as the nation's 83^rd attorney general and the first African-American woman to hold the position. She replaces Eric Holder, who strongly supported gay rights.