Michigan same-sex marriages will be recognized federally despite appeal

Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday extended federal recognition to the marriages of about 300 same-sex couples that took place in Michigan before an appeals court put such unions on hold.

His action extends eligibility for federal benefits to the Michigan couples who were married Saturday, which means they may file federal taxes jointly, get Social Security benefits for spouses and request legal immigration status for partners, among other benefits.

Holder's decision came a week after U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman in Detroit struck down the gay marriage ban.

The attorney general said the families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their benefits while courts decide the issue of same-sex marriage in Michigan. 

"The governor of Michigan has made clear that the marriages that took place on Saturday were lawful and valid when entered into, although Michigan will not extend state rights and benefits tied to these marriages, pending further legal proceedings," Holder said in a statement Friday.  

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, acknowledged Wednesday that same-sex couples "had a legal marriage." But because of the court's stay, he added, the gay marriage ban has been restored. That closed the door, at least for now, to certain state benefits reserved for married couples.

Holder did the same thing in Utah, where more than 1,000 same-sex couples got married before the U.S. Supreme Court put those unions on hold in January.

In Michigan the attorney general's announcement was warmly received by those who tied the knot over the weekend.

Donna DeMarco and Lisa Ulrey were among dozens of couples who married Saturday in Oakland County, northwest of Detroit.

"That's a major step," DeMarco said. "The federal government is making great strides with recognizing same-sex marriage. It's time for Michigan to get out of its prehistoric age and get with the times. When you have a state government that's full of hate and straddles political lines and doesn't recognize that people are people, it affects a lot of people."

Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., issue licenses for same-sex marriages. Since December, bans on gay marriage have also been overturned by courts in Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia, but appeals have put those cases on hold.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press