Navajo president vetoes gay marriage ban

[Kire]

Posted: May 03, 2005
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. vetoed a same-sex marriage ban passed by the Navajo Nation Council. However, the veto could face an override in the council and the gay marriage ban could still become law.

While Shirley said gay marriage is not an issue on the Navajo Nation because currently gays are not requesting marriage licenses, the Navajo gay community, concerned with freedom of future choices, disagreed.

Shirley said the law would generate feelings of disharmony and disunity among Navajos and violates a central Navajo belief in goodwill.

''The legislation veiled a discriminatory aspect in the guise of family values, which goes against the Navajo teaching of non-discrimination and doing no psychological or physical harm,'' Shirley said.

Mor: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410861

[proud patriot]

1. A ban would go against tradition with the Navajo tribe

Traditionally Gay people were believed to have
Big medicine with the nation .. I wonder what
changed for them.

[sundog]

4. yes, but there is a divide between traditional people on the res

and politicians...

I have spent some time on the Navajo Res. The traditional people are most often the poorest of the poor, with little to no power. That is primarily why they retain tradition, because it is the grounding force in their lives. They have little else.

The politicians are a small group of people scratching each other's backs. Their mentality is often simply trickle down from the Anglo world. Many politicians will naturally align themselves with the 'politically correct' position which will help them to retain their posts :( (There are of course, some exceptions to that.)

[randr]

2. The perfect message

to spread far and wide.
All good citizens of planet earth share these same Navajo values:
''The legislation veiled a discriminatory aspect in the guise of family values, which goes against the Navajo teaching of non-discrimination and doing no psychological or physical harm,'' Shirley said.

[Syncronaut Seven]

3. I paused and re-read that paragraph

several times. I am sad, we have so far to go.