In an effort to protect marriage and family, the US Congress and President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It defines marriage in federal law, and also allows individual states to deny recognition of same sex marriage from other states. It is important for states that have not adapted this act into their constitutions to consider it, or create their own legislation that will protect against it, otherwise they will have to recognize same sex couples that have moved into their state as legal and married, and grant them all the legalities that an opposite sex couple has.
