Defense of Marriage Act

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996, was a U.S. law that defined marriage for federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman. This meant that second-class treatment was given to same-sex marriages, preventing same-sex couples from accessing federal benefits like Social Security or immigration rights. In 2013, the Supreme Court declared key parts of DOMA unconstitutional, affirming that same-sex marriages must be recognized equally under federal law. DOMA's passage reflected early political resistance to marriage equality, but its core provisions are no longer in effect.