Defense of Marriage Act
Last updatedWhat 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 same-sex marriages, its rigid definition of marriage allowed states to decide whether they would recognize same-sex 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 same-sex marriages 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.
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 same-sex marriages. 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.