Among the Navajos, a Renewed Debate About Gay Marriage
In The New York Times, Julie Turkewitz reports on the conflict between traditional values and a growing movement for same-sex marriage in Navajo culture. The Supreme Court will consider same-sex marriage this year, but Supreme Court decisions do not apply to the Navajo Nation, in which 566 tribes are sovereign bodies. Turkewitz writes, “The national debate over gay marriage, however, is prompting some Navajos to re-examine a 2005 tribal law called the Dine Marriage Act, which prohibits same-sex unions on the reservation.” Though repeal of the Dine Act has strong supporters, many gay Navajos keep their sexuality private, avoiding the movement for fear of being shunned in their communities.