Defense of Marriage Act
What to know
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law defining marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. While DOMA did not explicitly outlaw marriage of same-sex couples, its rigid definition allowed states to decide whether they would recognize these marriages. The Supreme Court struck down DOMA’s definition of marriage in 2013. In 2015, the Supreme Court also struck down the section of DOMA that permitted individual states not to recognize marriage for same-sex couples from other states. The name of the law may be misleading to readers without further explanation of its policy, intent, and impact on LGBTQ+ couples and families.
In 2025, the US Supreme Court declined to take up a case that would have revisited its decision to legalize marriage equality nationwide.
Additional resources
- Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (Legal Information Institute-Cornell Law School)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (GLAAD)
Summary
The Defense of Marriage Act (also known as DOMA) was a law passed in 1996 that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, effectively outlawing marriage for same-sex couples. The law’s definition of marriage was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, granting marriage rights to same-sex couples nationwide. The name of the law may be misleading to readers without further explanation of its policy, intent, and impact on LGBTQ+ couples and families.