President Clinton signs into law the Defense of Marriage Act.

President Clinton signs into law the Defense of Marriage Act. It defined marriage in federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and gave states the authority to refuse recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states. Supported by an overwhelming majority of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the law encouraged many states to pass similar measures. The Supreme Court finally declared the act unconstitutional in June 2013.

1996-09-21