The battle over same sex marriages began taking national notice in 1996, when Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Chang upheld the Hawaii Supreme Court's 1993 ruling in Romer v. Evans. The state, Chang ruled, failed to show a "compelling interest- for prohibiting same-sex marriages. As a result of this, the Republican Congress drafted into its "Contract with America- a small but noteworthy provision entitled "The Defense of Marriage Act-. The bill was pushed through Congress by House majority leader Dick Armey, DOMA was passed by the Senate on September 10, 1996 by a vote of 85-14. th...

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• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate