Mass. officials praise gay marriage ruling

BOSTON (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that legally married same-sex couples should be entitled to the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples is drawing praise from Massachusetts officials.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said the 5-4 decision by the high court will mean that same-sex couples in the Bay State will no longer be denied Social Security, medical benefits or other federal protections.

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, and Coakley was the first attorney general to challenge the Defense of Marriage Act, though the Massachusetts case was not the one ultimately decided by the high court.

U.S. Sen.-elect Edward Markey also praised Wednesday's ruling, saying the court stood with "the millions of voices across the nation calling for marriage equality."

Cox Media Group