WASHINGTON – House Republicans raised the white flag Thursday on extending domestic violence protections to gays, lesbians and transsexuals after months of resisting an expansion of the Violence Against Women Act.

GOP leaders, who had tried to limit the bill before November’s election, gave the go-ahead for the House to accept a more ambitious Senate version written mainly by Democrats.

Democrats, with a minority of Republicans, were key to the 286-138 House vote that sent to President Barack Obama a renewal of the 1994 law that has set the standard for how to protect women, and some men, from domestic abuse and prosecute abusers.