1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - Collection Finding Aid

1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - Collection Finding Aid

President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law on September 21, 1996. The Act declared that no state shall be required to recognize a same-gender marriage performed in another state. DOMA also defined marriage as only between a man and a woman for purposes of Federal law. This collection consists of files and email accounts from the White House staff related to The Defense of Marriage Act. The collection also contains records related to Hawaii Supreme Court’s Baehrs vs. Lewin, and California’s Proposition 22. The collection consists of clippings, emails, letters, memoranda, notes, press releases, and talking points concerning DOMA, same sex marriage, and domestic partnerships.

William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum