Posted on 08/03/2005 3:02:37 PM PDT by gitmo
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) - A Cherokee Nation court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the tribe from giving its legal blessing to a lesbian couple's marriage.
The Judicial Appeals Tribunal in its ruling Wednesday said that tribe member and attorney Todd Hembree had no standing to sue and could not show that he suffered any harm by legal recognition of the same-sex marriage.
Dawn McKinley and Kathy Reynolds haven't decided whether they will try again to file their tribal marriage certificate. Since the tribe is sovereign, Cherokee Nation marriage certificates are recognized just like Oklahoma marriage licenses.
The couple, who are both members of the tribe, exchanged vows in Cherokee in May 2004 after the tribe gave them the certificate without protest. But Hembree sued and won an injunction that kept it from being filed.
After the couple wed, the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council unanimously approved language defining a union as between one man and one woman.
Previously, tribal laws governing marriages used Cherokee terms for "husband" and "wife" that Hembree claimed were gender-specific. The couple contended the terms were not gender specific, and that the Cherokee words used in the marriage ceremony are "cooker" for wife and "companion" for husband.
The court would still have to accept the certificate before it is filed.
"We're excited, we're happy," Reynolds said. "We're determining what our next step is going to be."
Hembree, who serves as counsel to the tribe's legislative body, said the court's decision ends the case for him: "That is a decision by the highest court in our land."
Whoa. Was picture necessary? GAG
Barf Alert!
Is that the Indigo Girls?
"Court Tosses"
I can hardly blame the court-that picture made me want to toss, too...
And, then the judge asked, "Which one of you two fat pig lesbos is the squaw?"
I think that sentence breaks the record for the number of broken politically correct rules.
What are their "indian" names: "Humps-with-toys" and "Dives-for-muff" ?
What ever the outcome they're going to need a Deluxe Double Wide.
Looks like they both had a big hand in ...Custards last stand. :)
Whoa, chill out dudes. Looks like the Tribal council (alone) is the one banning the Marriage.
Us "Euro-Trash" haven't said anything. ;->
Big Chief Kay-Yah,
Who Just Signed Up Today
Will have teepee burned by Euro-trash Moderator
And be scalped by viking kitty
Will be sent back to DU reservation
without the slightest hesitation
Where he can brag about voting for
Tom Daschle ten times in the same election!
Got up on the wrong side of the tee-pee?
Is this Bob Novak?
Did gay indians have names that reflected their gayness? For example, might one be called "Pirates the Butts", or "Rangers with rumps"? How about, "Packs fudge in teepee with no women".?
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