US gay marriage 'remains a very divisive issue'

The US Supreme Court has struck down a law denying federal benefits to gay couples and cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California.

The court's 5-4 vote said the Defense of Marriage Act, known as Doma, denied equal protection to same-sex couples.

Michael Dimock from Pew Research, an organisation that analyses social trends, said attitudes on gay marriage were shifting, but it remained a divisive issue.