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Kevin and Darren live in Portland Oregon and are a gay, committed couple. We believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all...regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, nationality, financial status, and being. Erase man-made borders and "they" become "we". New Site: HERE.Monday, March 21
On the reservation, US indians debate gay unions
On American Indian reservations, some tribes are debating whether they should embrace gay marriage or shun such unions as an affront to family values.
The controversy in these often-ignored sovereign territories within the United States comes as Americans in general are divided, often bitterly, over same-sex weddings. The controversy made headlines again this week as a judge ruled that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.
"What goes on in Indian nations now is a microcosm of what is going on across the country," said David Cornsilk, a Cherokee representing two lesbians in the most prominent case before an American Indian court.
The latest California ruling also came weeks after a legislator in Navajo Nation, the largest and most populous Indian reservation, called for a ban on gay marriage. Scholars of homosexuality in Indian culture say Native Americans traditionally tolerated gay behavior, an attitude that shifted after the Europeans arrived in North America.
"American Indians firmly believe from forever that procreation was essential for survival, but you could play with anybody," said Lester Brown, author of "Two Spirit People: American Indian Lesbian Women and Gay Men."
"Christianity ruined a lot of it," said Brown, a Cherokee. "The religious groups that were trying to proselytize with the Indians could not accept those different people."
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