Brandon Stabler. Photo from Facebook

Same-sex marriage isn't recognized in Nebraska but a member of the Omaha Tribe hopes to be the first Native person in line when it becomes legal.

Brandon Stabler grew up on the reservation feeling ostracized. When he turned 21, he moved to Florida but he has since returned home.

"All my life, I was told that being gay was wrong, especially at the reservation," Stabler, now 32, told The Lincoln Journal Star. "I felt like nobody liked gay people."

After learning about same-sex traditions within his tribe, Stabler said he feels more welcome. The Omaha word for a two-spirit person is "mexoga."

"Maybe I wouldn't have felt left out and lost. I'm very happy and proud for those tribes who still believe in it," Stabler told the paper.

The Nebraska constitution defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. A legal challenge failed in federal court but a series of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court will likely affect the dwindling number of states where same-sex marriages aren't recognized.

Get the Story:
Native American yearns for old views of gays, lesbians (The Lincoln Journal Star 2/22)

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