The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed in 1996 and signed by then President Clinton. The act states:
- `No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.'.
In simple terms, Tennessee does not have to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in Massachusetts.
DOMA also states:
- `In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word `marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word `spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.'.
One of the things the Obama Administration has done lately is declare that it would not defend DOMA in court. However, that does not change the fact that DOMA is currently the law of the land. Meanwhile...
Ed Morrissey at Hot Air reported today:
"The Navy has abruptly reversed its decision to allow chaplains to perform same-sex marriages once the military's ban on openly gay service members is lifted, after dozens of House lawmakers complained.
"Rear Adm. Mark Tidd, chief of Navy chaplains, issued a one-sentence memo Tuesday announcing that the earlier decision has been "suspended until further notice pending additional legal and policy review and inter-Departmental coordination.""
Why the change of course? The article reports:
"...63 House members wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to object to the Navy's initial ruling, saying the service was violating the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act by appearing to recognize and support same-sex marriages."
Whoops.
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