Justice Department will give married same-sex couples full and equal recognition

On Saturday Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice will give same-sex marriages sweeping equal protection under the law in every program it administers. In a new policy memo today, the department will spell out the rights of same-sex couples. Update: Here’s the memo released today.

Rea Carey, executive director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families experience discrimination in every part and at every step of the judicial process — from law enforcement, to courts, to prisons. This very significant announcement means that same-sex married couples and their families must be treated equally in every program administered by the federal Department of Justice across the entire country. This is a very good day for the advancement of equality. We applaud Attorney General Holder for his bold leadership for loving couples and for LGBT people on a range of issues.