The Obama administration has dropped its support for a US law that says marriage can exist only between a man and a woman.
The decision, welcomed by gay rights advocates and human rights groups, is sure to spark renewed controversy in America and a likely showdown in the Congress.
Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed the policy reversal today, saying the administration would no longer defend the Defence of Marriage Act, the 1996 anti-gay marriage bill that Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed into law.
Mr Holder said he and President Obama agreed that the law was unconstitutional and discriminated against same-sex couples, who are legally married but whose status is not recognised by the federal government.
“The president has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny,” Mr Holder wrote in a statement
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