More good news on the marriage equality front... > Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:51:16 -0500 > From: nytdir...@nytimes.com > Subject: News Alert: Justice Department to Stop Defending Federal Law on Gay > Marriage > To: kallena...@msn.com > > Breaking News Alert > The New York Times > Wed, February 23, 2011 -- 12:50 PM ET > ----- > > Justice Department to Stop Defending Federal Law on Gay Marriage > > President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed > the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of > Marriage Act - the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of > same-sex marriages - against lawsuits challenging it as > unconstitutional. > > Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday sent a > letter to Congress to inform them that the Justice Department > will now take the position in court that the Defense of > Marriage Act should be struck down as a violation of gay > couples' rights to equal protection under the law. > > "The President and I have concluded that classifications > based on sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny and > that, as applied to same-sex couples legally married under > state law" a crucial provision of the Defense of Marriage Act > is unconstitutional, Mr. Holder wrote. > > Read More: > http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na > > > About This E-Mail > You received this message because you are signed up to receive breaking news > alerts from NYTimes.com. > > To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to sign up for daily headlines > or other newsletters, go to: > http://www.nytimes.com/email > > NYTimes.com > 620 Eighth Ave. > New York, NY 10018 > > Copyright 2011 The New York Times Company > >
