When Dawn McKinley and Kathy Reynolds, members of the Cherokeee Nation, got married a year ago, they didn't have activism in mind. As a long-term lesbian couple, they just wanted to make sure they could be there for each other in times of emergency.
But their union has turned into a legal and political battle. After word got out, their marriage license was put on hold in tribal court. Then the Cherokee Nation council passed a law to outlaw same-sex marriages.
McKinley, 33, and Reynolds, 28, will now go before the tribe's highest court on June 3. They say Cherokee traditions do not define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Get the Story:
Married Cherokee lesbian couple battle for recognition
(AP 5/19)
Gay Marriage Issue Before The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court (KOTV 5/19)
Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation Council - http://www.navajonationcouncil.org
Navajo
Nation - http://www.navajo.org
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Thursday, May 19, 2005
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