When a Republican congressman took to the House floor in 1996 to
talk about same-sex marriage, he did not mince words. "The very
foundations of our society are in danger of being burned," Rep.
Bob Barr of Georgia told his colleagues. "The flames of
hedonism, the flames of narcissism, the flames of self-centered
morality are licking at the very foundation of our society: the
family unit." Barr was speaking in support of the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law that defines marriage as
between a man and a woman that would soon pass with strong
majorities in both the House and the Senate. It would be signed
into law by President Bill Clinton. Sixteen years later, while
supporters of DOMA exist in force, much has changed in the world
of LGBT rights, in general, and marriage, in particular.
"Nineteen-ninety-six was a very different world," says Janson
Wu, a staff attorney for the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
(GLAD). "The legislative record reflects colorful and
insensitive language by some congress