Video: 'Gay Marriage Debate: Bill Clinton Regrets Signing Defense of Marriage Act | The New York Times'

(Saturday, September 21, 1996, 12:50 a.m. EDT) — President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) today denying federal recognition of same-sex marriages a day after saying the law should not be used as an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against gays and lesbians.

Although never formally repealed, DOMA was effectively overturned by U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2013 and 2015.