The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a federal provision, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied same-sex legally married couples from receiving benefits.
In a separate ruling the Supreme Court paved the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California.
According to Fox News, the court avoided a broad ruling, and determined that the defenders of California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage did not have the standing to appeal against the ban at lower court rulings.
The 5-4 ruling, which is a major victory for gay-rights advocates, means same-sex couples would be eligible for federal benefits.
President Barack Obama directed his administration to review all relevant federal statutes to comply with the ruling, the report said.
The ruling prompted tension among the divided court, with Justice Antonin Scalia saying that the components of the majority's ruling are 'wrong'.
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Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said that it was a sad day.
Same-sex marriage has been adopted by 12 states and the District of Columbia. Another 18,000 couples were married in California during a brief period when same-sex unions were legal there, the report added.