TAKE THAT, PUTIN

Holder: Gay Equality 'Civil Right'

A.G. praises Sweden.

Making his strongest statement in support of gay rights so far, Attorney General Eric Holder called the struggle for LGBT equality one of “the defining civil rights challenges of our time.” Holder was speaking before the Swedish parliament, which he praised for legalizing same-sex marriage by an overwhelming margin in 2009. “By becoming the seventh nation in the world to extend the right to marry to gay and lesbian couples, you've stabilized families and expanded individual liberty.” The remarks came just two days before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where oppressive laws have sparked an international debate about discrimination.