Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. vetoed a bill that would have banned same-sex marriage on the reservation, saying it does little to promote family values.

"Same-sex marriage is a non-issue on Navajoland," he said in a statement. "So why waste time and resources on it? We have more important issues to address." Those issues, he said, include domestic violence, sexual assault and gangs.

The Navajo Nation Council approved the bill last week with no recorded votes in opposition. But at least one delegate questioned its usefulness and called it a form of discrimination.

Get the Story:
Navajo head vetoes gay marriage measure (AP 5/1)
Navajo homosexual marriage ban saddens local gay community (Indian Country Today 5/2)

Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajonation.org

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