MOSCOW, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - US authorities will legalize lesbian and gay marriage in 7 new US states, with the total number of states allowing same-sex marriage rising to 26, Associated Press reported on Friday.
"We are slowly drawing closer to full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans nationwide," Attorney General Eric Holder announced in a statement, cited by the news agency.
The ban on same-sex marriage will be lifted in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado and Nevada.
According to legal experts, such legislation may be passed in other US states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas, West Virginia and Wyoming in due course, reports BBC.
Many human rights organizations consider the prohibition of same-sex marriage discriminatory and a violation of human rights. According to international law, states are to guarantee to all individuals the fundamental right to marriage and a non-compliance with this obligation breaches the principle of tolerance and nondiscrimination.
