Defense of Marriage Acts
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To put it simply, DOMAs prevent homosexuals from exporting same-sex "marriages" to other states. For example, if you were married in Arizona, you are also legally married in Colorado if you move there, and are extended the same rights married couples enjoy in Colorado. But the recognition of your marriage by other states is not required by the Constitution. It is a policy universally practiced by the states, except to the extent a marriage violates a state’s public policy. In that event, states do not have to recognize marriages from other states, just like states do not have to recognize professional licenses from other states (such as law licenses, medical licenses, etc.). DOMAs are a strong statement of a State’s public policy not to recognize same-sex “marriages” from other states.
Homosexual activists often claim that DOMAs are unnecessary, making statements such as "no one is pushing for same-sex marriage in your state." But they recognize that without a DOMA, your state may be forced to recognize a same-sex couples "marriage."1
Below is a map illustrating which states currently define marriage as between one man and one woman, either through DOMA legislation or a constitutional amendment. To learn more, view the Marriage Amendment Summary, or visit www.DOMAwatch.org
Click on the map to learn more at DOMAwatch.org
Footnotes:
1 "The Homosexual Agenda," Alan Sears and Craig Osten. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003.
