In the wee hours of the morning of September 21, 1996, a bill was passed into law allowing one state to refuse to recognize a same-sex marriage validly entered in another state. This law is called the Defense of Marriage Act, commonly referred to as DOMA. and is essentially the repeal of a basic civil rights for the LGBT community. It also has implications for the heterosexual community.

See a short documentary on DOMA at enddoma.org
The Gay Marriage area of our website has been written and compiled by Peter M. Carrozzo, Esq. who is an Adjunct Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he teaches Constitutional Law and a Seminar on the Supreme Court. He is the author of a number of law review articles focusing on the ownership of real property and the rights of same-sex families, and on the history of mortgage lending from the New Deal to the twenty-first century. He serves as an editorial advisor for the LGBT Sidebar. Peter can be reached at 718-819-2188 or via e-mail at trumancaro@msn.com.
As part of Vishnick McGovern Milizio's (VMM's) commitment to advocate and protect the rights of the gay community, the firm has been at the forefront of original research about the issue of same-sex marriage in the United States. This portion of our lgbt website is dedicated to explaining the issues surrounding same-sex marriage, including The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

To view a short documentary about DOMA, please visit www.enddoma.org.


The Same Sex Marriage Debate continues... but there's more gay couples - and heterosexual couples need to know. 

The United States government specifically excludes one group of Americans from certain rights that all other Americans enjoy.  Additionally, 41 of the 50 states deny rights to that same group.  Although this may sound reminiscent of Jim Crow laws from the first half of the twentieth century, this discrimination is happening in America today. There is a twenty first century federal law, and a vast number of twenty first century state laws that discriminate against gays and lesbians and their attempts to marry.  Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community are the only people in America who are legally discriminated against in something as simple as their right to get married.  How is this possible?

A law known as The Defense of Marriage Act (commonly known as DOMA) jeopardizes basic civil rights for LGBT individuals, and potentially threatens the rights of heterosexual individuals. It's important to know the issues for the benefit of all American citizens. The following is a detailed explanation of DOMA and its implications.

THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT
Click this link to learn:

  1. What is the Defense of Marriage Act?
  2. Why was the Defense of Marriage Act passed?
  3. What was the States' response to Same-Sex Marriage?
  4. What are Mini-DOMAs?
  5. What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
  6. Does the Defense of Marriage Act overrule the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
  7. Is there a Constitutional right to marriage?


AN OVERVIEW OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES
Click this link to learn:
  1. Which states allow the Formation of Same-Sex Marriage
  2. Which states have "Mini-DOMAs"
  3. Limbo States

THE IMPORTANCE OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE
Click this link to learn about the legacy of "Separate but Equal"


THE MOVEMENT IN THE U.S. TO OVERTURN DOMA
Click this link to read more about:
  1. The Massachusetts Challenge
  2. The New York Challenge
  3. The New England Challenge
  4. Respect for Marriage Act

PROP 8 UPDATE