President Barack Obama last week instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that restricts federal recognition of marriage to opposite sex couples.
The move was hailed by LGBT rights groups, but some lawmakers accused Obama of abandoning his duty to defend laws passed by Congress. The administration's now-official position that laws discriminating against gays and lesbians deserve heightened scrutiny could have an effect on other LGBT rights issues as well.
