1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

The 1996 Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a U.S. federal law that defined marriage as a legal union solely between one man and one woman. It allowed states to refuse recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states and prevented federal benefits from being granted to same-sex couples. Its primary aim was to uphold traditional marriage in response to growing support for same-sex marriage. However, key sections of DOMA were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, leading to wider recognition of same-sex marriages and benefits at the federal level.