On Friday, a letter signed by GLAAD and more than 50 orther organizations was sent to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to ensure that the marriages of nearly 2,000 same-sex couples that took place following court rulings in Arkansas, Indiana and Wisconsin are upheld by the federal government. The letter, orgnized by the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry, notes that court rulings in these three states briefly allowed for the legal marriages of same-sex couples before those rulings were stayed pending appeal. Now, the status of those marriages in the eyes of the federal government remains uncertain, according to the letter:
"There is no legal reason to question the validity of these nearly 2,000 marriages. Each was legally performed by a clerk representing the states of Arkansas, Indiana and Wisconsin, in accordance with each state’s statutes and constitution and by judicial order. There is simply no reason for the federal government not to respect these couples’ marriages and extend federal benefits."
In the letter, the Respect for Marriage Coalition enumerated the various federal protections that these nearly 2,000 married same-sex couples should receive, including receiving the same family health and retirement benefits as other married employees, sponsoring a foreign national spouse for immigration into the United States, and more.
GLAAD supports the Respect for Marriage Coalition in calling for the marriages of same-sex couples in Arkansas, Indiana and Wisconsin to be recognized as valid by the federal government.