The American Bar Association is urging a change in federal law to guarantee same-sex spouses the same government benefits that those in traditional marriages receive. The ABA House of Delegates last night approved a resolution urging repeal of a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.

Neal Sonnett is with the American Bar Association. He says same sex couples who are married in states that allow it should legally be entitled to federal benefits.

SONNETT: It’s a denial of equal protection for people in those states to be considered married by the state but ineligible for federal benefits where marriage is a consideration.

In urging approval, Walter H. White, Jr. of Washington, said that the American Bar Association has been on record for years for recognizing sexual orientation as a protected class. No one spoke against the resolution.