A heroic young lesbian of the Suquamish tribe in Washington state has convinced her tribe to accept same sex marriage. This is a prime example of how one person can accomplish major changes, through activism and education, that have big ramifications.
An American Indian Tribe in Washington state has adopted a law recognizing gay marriage, making it only the second tribe in the country known to do so.My great grandma was part Choctaw, and I know that many Native American tribes have honored their LGBT members by calling them "two spirited." Unfortunately, the tribes have been influenced by conservative religious organizations in the not so recent past that have changed their native attitudes regarding "two spirited" members. Fortunately, through the hard work of this heroic native lesbian, one more tribe has evolved back to acceptance and even now providing their "two spirited" members with the same rights as any other member of their tribe. Of course, this has ramifications outside the tribe as to whether or not the state that encompasses their sovereign nation will honor the marriages of some of our nation's first citizens. Another interesting note I found in the article was that her tribal duty was seafood diver. What a fantastic tribal duty!
The Suquamish Tribal Council voted Monday to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples on its reservation near Seattle, after the measure gained support from more than 100 tribal members at a meeting this spring.
The new law allows the tribal court to issue a marriage license to two unmarried people, regardless of their sex, if they're at least 18 years old and at least one of them is enrolled in the tribe.
Oh, and I have to share a photo of my mother's Native American grandma just so you can see just how Choctaw she looked. Like most people with first citizen blood flowing in their veins, I'm very proud of my heritage.
