Prior to 1996, the United States Federal government had no legislation in place to define marriage. Any marriage that was recognized by any single state was also formally recognized on the federal level. In 1996, the Clinton administration passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which legally defined marriage as between one man and one woman.

Currently, six states formally recognize same-sex marriage and grant marriage licenses: Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, an...
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