Obama reignites battle over gay marriage

The Obama administration's announcement Wednesday that it would no longer oppose legal challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act has left conservative senators, congressmen and traditional marriage advocates reeling — but some see a silver lining.

The move, which comes just two months after the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members, was seen as a monumental shift in the battle over gay rights. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called it "deeply disturbing" and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said the decision was "indefensible." Leading gay rights advocate Jon W. Davidson, legal director for Lamdba Legal, told the Los Angeles Times Wednesday that the new stance was a "turning point in the quest for equality."

"With all of the problems facing our country right now, I'm surprised that he woke up this morning and decided that he wanted to pick this battle," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said of Obama. "This is a fight worth fighting and I'm willing to fight it everyday with him if he wants."

Congressman Jim Matheson, D-Utah, also said that he strongly disagreed with the administration's decision.

It is unclear what the long term implications of the new policy will be. In a letter to congress Wednesday, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder said the administration had concluded that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, was unconstitutional because it discriminated against gays. A final ruling on the constitutionality of the law will most likely be made by the Supreme Court. In the meantime, Holder said the administration would continue to enforce the law.

Signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, DOMA protects states' rights to define marriage and to decide whether to recognize same-sex unions from other states. It also clarifies that for purposes of the federal government — such as Social Security payments and tax allowances — marriage is defined as between a man and a woman.

Currently, there are a number of lawsuits before the federal government challenging the constitutionality of DOMA. While the Justice Department will continue to enforce the law, they will no longer defend it in federal lawsuits — which opens the door for congress to either repeal the law or for the Supreme Court to make a final ruling on its constitutionality.