DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT Meaning and
Definition
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The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is a U.S. federal law that was enacted in 1996. The legislation stipulated two main provisions. Firstly, it defined marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman for the purposes of federal law, disregarding any same-sex marriage that might be recognized by certain states. Consequently, it limited the benefits and protections associated with marriage to exclusively male-female unions. Secondly, DOMA allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries, thereby restricting the interstate legal recognition of such marriages.
The intent behind the Defense of Marriage Act was to affirm the traditional definition of marriage and to preserve the autonomy of individual states concerning same-sex unions. Proponents of the law argued that it was necessary to protect the institution of marriage and to maintain societal stability and traditional family values. They also contended that it was within the purview of each state to define marriage according to their own cultural and social norms.
However, the Defense of Marriage Act faced significant criticism and legal challenges. Critics argued that it violated the equal protection principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution by depriving same-sex couples of the federal benefits and legal recognition afforded to heterosexual couples. Ultimately, in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional, leading to an effective nullification of the law. The Court's decision opened doors for the recognition of same-sex marriages at the federal level, and subsequent legal developments continued to shape the landscape of marriage and LGBT rights in the United States.
