THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has decided that his administration will no longer defend a law defining marriage only as between a man and a woman.In the wake of two lawsuits challenging the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act, Mr Obama made a major reversal in policy and concluded the law was "unconstitutional", said Eric Holder, the Attorney General.
Mr Holder added that "the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years", noting that the US Supreme Court had ruled that "laws criminalising homosexual conduct are unconstitutional".
The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now but said it changed its mind after examining the law and the debate that accompanied its passage in Congress.
During his campaign Mr Obama said he was opposed to gay marriage on religious grounds but supported civil unions. More recently he has said that his attitude was "evolving" while a spokesman said today he was still "grappling" with the issue.
Mr Obama's move positions him in line with rising public support for gay marriage. Polling results can vary rather significantly depending on what words are used to describe gay marriage, but there is a gradual trend in public opinion toward more acceptance. >>> Alex Spillius, Washington | Wednesday, February 23, 2011
