Project Thesis
In the 1990s, the problem in the United States was a growing conservative backlash against LGBTQ+ couples seeking legal recognition and civil rights. In 1996, the Clinton Administration and Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to legally define marriage as strictly between a man and a woman in order to appease political pressures and prevent the nationwide legal recognition of same-sex marriages. This represented a reaction and subsequent reform in US History because DOMA's discriminatory federal restrictions catalyzed grassroots LGBTQ+ activism, ultimately leading to Massachusetts becoming the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004.
AP Photo: Couples receive the first same-sex marriage licenses at Cambridge City Hall on May 17, 2004.
Introduction
Welcome to my NHD project. Use the navigation bar above to explore the history of DOMA, the reaction it caused, and the legal reform that followed.