DOMA Meaning and
Definition
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DOMA stands for the Defense of Marriage Act, which is a United States federal law enacted on September 21, 1996. The law defined marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman, thereby prohibiting the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.
DOMA consisted of two major provisions. First, the law asserted that no state, territory, or Indian tribe was required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Secondly, DOMA enabled the federal government to define marriage exclusively as a heterosexual union for all federal purposes, including social security benefits, immigration, and taxation. This meant that same-sex couples were denied access to the federal benefits and protections enjoyed by opposite-sex couples.
Critics of DOMA argue that it infringed on states' rights by preventing them from applying their own laws and legal precedents concerning same-sex marriage. It also faced considerable opposition from LGBTQ+ rights advocates who argued that it denied same-sex couples equal protection under the law.
In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States deemed a key provision of DOMA unconstitutional in the case of United States v. Windsor. The decision held that same-sex couples who were legally married should be entitled to the same federal benefits and protections as opposite-sex couples. As a result, several subsequent court cases and legislative developments paved the way for the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.
Common Misspellings for DOMA
- deoma
- dloma
- dpoma
- d0oma
- do0ma
- d9oma
- do9ma
- domka
- dojma
- domja
- domza
- domaz
- domwa
- domaw
- domqa
- domaq
- ddoma
- domaa
- d oma
- do ma
- dom a
- fOOMA
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