【9/21 今日美史】签署《婚姻保护法》

今

日

美

史

每天一篇“今日美史”，提炼和总结历史在今天发生的重要事件：谁，在哪里，什么时候，做了什么，这件事为什么重要，以及在写关于什么主题的论文的时候可以作为潜在的论据引用。

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9/21

Defense of Marriage Act Signed

When

Where

Who

What

When: 1996

Where: Washington DC

Who: Congress

What:

In a step against gay rights, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) federally defined marriage as between a man and a woman for the purposes of rights of partners.  It denied those rights to same sex unions and allowed states to do the same.

Why

significant

Before it was struck down by the Supreme Court in the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges decision, DOMA was used to deny rights of inheritance, executorship and other rights married partners enjoyed under federal and state law.  It was overturned because it was found to violate the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

Tags

Obergefell v Hodges, Gay Rights, Civil Rights, Due Process.