U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the decision a day after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) urged him to ensure that those couples would be eligible for federal benefits.
"I am confirming today that, for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages," Holder said in a statement.
HRC President Chad Griffin hailed Holder’s quick response, saying the couples "are married, plain and simple, and they should be afforded every right and responsibility of marriage."
"Attorney General Eric Holder has once again shown the kind of leadership that earns you a spot in the history books," Griffin said. "This is only the beginning of this fight, and this work continues until marriage equality returns to Utah for good, and full equality reaches every American in all 50 states."
U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled on Dec. 20 that the state’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. By Jan. 6, when the Supreme Court issued a stay, county clerks throughout the state issued more than 1,300 licenses.
Earlier this week, Utah officials said they would not recognize marriages while the state appeals Shelby’s decision. However, it said benefits associated with marriages were frozen at whatever step the couples reached before the stay.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes on Thursday told the state’s 29 county clerks to complete processing any licenses that had been returned to them after couples married, which he said could be used as legal documents in states that recognize same-sex marriages.
Both Utah Gov. Gary Hebert and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said the federal government’s announcement does not change — and is in fact consistent with — the state’s position.
