Obama: Law Against Gay Marriage Unconstitutional

Big win for gay rights advocates: The Obama administration has concluded that the Defense of Marriage Act—the law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage—is unconstitutional and won't defend it in court anymore, reports NPR. The president gave the Justice Department its new marching orders today, and Eric Holder says he agrees with the decision. (Click for his statement.)

"The significance of this development cannot be overstated," writes Max Simon at the gay blog Queerty. "No longer will the federal government truly stand in the way of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of DOMA's Section 3. Which means if Congress does not repeal the law, the courts will, and the Obama administration won't get in their way." Plus, Holder finally used the word "unconstitutional," he notes. "This is a great day."