Some Native American Tribes Are Still Banning Same-Sex Marriage
Same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states but there are still a huge number of people living in America being denied the right to marry who they love.
Fusion reports that there are still as many as 566 federally-recognized Native American tribes that aren’t ruled by the “law of the land,” so to speak, and their more than 5.2 million tribe members are still living without marriage equality.
According to statistics from the Associated Press and marriage equality advocation organization Freedom to Marry, at least 11 tribes, including the second most-populous tribe, the Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation, have laws explicitly banning same-sex marriage. On the other hand, there are at least 12 tribes that recognize same-sex marriage as a civil right.
Same-sex marriage laws among Native American tribes vary as much as state laws did this time last year. But much like America, those holdout tribes are slowly changing for the better.
“There were same-sex couples from our creation story all the way to today. Those relationships were there, they were recognized, and they had every right to be productive members of our community,” Alray Nelson, a 29-year-old member of the largest Native American reservation, the Navajo nation.
Nelson says a number of young Navajo members are starting to speak up in favor of equality.
“When we talk about discrimination in regards to taking away someone’s rights, Navajo people get that,” he said. “They get it because they’ve dealt with decades of assimilation policy and continue to deal with those issues. So when a certain segment of the community feels left out and aren’t treated with respect and fairness, Navajos understand that and they get that fight.”
Nelson says he plans to discuss new marriage equality legislation with Navajo lawmakers during the upcoming tribal session in October.
