Michigan and nine other states filed paperwork in September last year that opposed gay marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as only between a man and woman. 

Wednesday, the Obama administration decided to stop defending in court the federal law that bans recognition of same-sex marriage.

According to MSNBC reports, the administration had March 11th deadline to respond to two lawsuits against the measure in New York and Connecticut.

The Associated Press says that gay rights groups, such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force are calling the President's decision a,  "tremendous step toward recognizing our common humanity."

The AP reports that House Speaker John Boehner says the White House should focus on "creating jobs and cutting spending," and not on a divisive issue like gay marriage.