By Louva Hartwell

NativeOUT News

Navajo Nation — An editorial written by Navajo LGBT rights activist Tomasina Grey was recently printed in the April 6, 2006 Navajo Times.  In her editorial she speaks out against the Dine' Marriage Act of 2005 and Albert Deschinnie's comments mentioned in the "Crying Game" article, published in the Phoenix New Times. The follow up article to the "Crying Game," with mention of Deschinnie's comments, was the "Gays: Tribes ignoring tradition" article published in the Gallup Independent and a radio show program, "Transgender Natives" on Native America Calling.

Tomasina has also been quoted in the Navajo Times article, "Battle lines drawn in gay marriage debate," in which she spoke out against the Dine' Marriage Act of 2005 in the summer of 2005. The Dine' Marriage Act of 2005 contained language that officially outlawed same-sex marriage on the Navajo Nation. It was sponsored by Navajo Nation Council Delegate Larry Anderson and enacted by the Navajo Nation Council on April 22, 2005, with 67 in favor and none opposed. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley vetoed the legislation on May 1, 2005. The Council then overrode the President's veto with 62 in favor, 14 opposed, and 12 abstaining on June 3, 2005. A vote of at least 59 was needed to override the veto. To learn more about the Dine' Marriage Act of 2005 and the Dine' Coalition for Cultural Preservation, the Navajo group that opposed the legislation, visit NativeOUT's DCCP info page.

The following letter is Tomasina's editorial, published in the Navajo Times:

Dear Editor:

For the past couple of days I have been bombarded with images & talk about weddings, commitments, marriages and celebrations with dozens of family members present.  All the while I am thinking to myself, “Will I ever get to have such a ceremony, an opportunity to voice aloud my declaration of love before my family and friends?”  Probably not!  Why?  It is because I am a lesbian and in our current Navajo society our rights and declarations have been grossly overlooked, unacknowledged, and recently made unconstitutional.

Recently, I spoke at length with a Navajo tribal councilman who said to me, “our young people need to return to the reservation especially if they have become educated.  Their knowledge and wisdom is needed here to ensure the survival of sovereignty for the Navajo people.” He also added that currently 80% of the Navajo tribal budget is funded by the Federal Government.  So, indirectly he is saying that the recent passage of the Navajo Nation’s Defense of Marriage Act is just another fine example of how the Federal Government continues to manipulate the policy making abilities of and for the Navajo Nation.

I am deeply saddened by this revelation, though not the least bit surprised.  The council delegate continued to say that the arm of sovereignty rights needs to be extended and tested to clearly define when and where the Federal Government can and cannot get involved in our tribal business.  Today, I challenge the Navajo Nation Tribal Council to exercise what they preach, if you want Navajo young people to return home and be productive members of our Navajo Nation, one step that needs to be taken is repealing the Defense of Marriage Act.  Why?

First of all, the Act has clearly drawn a line that now ostracizes Navajo Gay Men and Navajo Lesbian Women, because approval of the Act has stripped us of our rights to choose who we love.  Why on earth would we want to help rebuild and maintain our tribal communities when the Navajo Nation fails to acknowledge my rights as a human being and disallowing us to live the life given to me by the Creator, regardless of my sexual preferences?

Secondly, continuing to allow individuals who grossly misuse the power entrusted in them by the Navajo Nation in using derogatory language and behaving as though their actions are minor is completely uncalled for and simply unacceptable.  In case you’re wondering, I am referring to the recent article entitled “The Crying Game,” published in the Phoenix New Times on December 22, 2005, in which Albert Deschine, affiliated with Navajo Nation’s Social Service Committee of the Tribal Council, bluntly used foal language when referring to Wesley Thomas, a prominent Navajo scholar who earned his doctorial degree and is from the reservation.  He currently teaches at one of the renowned universities in this country.  As an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and having participated in elections since I was 18 years old, I demand that our Tribal Council hold this tribal employee accountable, as well as issue a public apology to Wesley Thomas, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas prefers an apology in Dine bizaad, not in English.  He has refused to accept the crude and rushed note forced into his hands via overnight delivery service provided by the US Postal Service in Indiana and has disposed it.

And finally, if you want us to return to the reservation then make us feel welcome and not ostracized, basically for our differences.  We have become entrenched into bilagaanaa-way of life and thought that we no longer see, let along experience, the essences of being Dine that we supposedly are.  Give us domestic partner benefits; give us the freedom to follow our hearts, the freedom to choose our mates, help us to restore our connection to the land, to our people and our spirituality by acknowledging our choice to love freely.  Thank you to Dr. Thomas for his contribution to this letter. And many thanks to the Navajo Times for continuing to provide a platform that gives a voice to the numerous Diné Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender community members.

In Peace and Harmony,

Tomasina Grey
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Hometown: Mariano Lake, NM
Eastern Agency of the Navajo Nation