Suquamish council OKs same-sex marriage


August 5, 2011 · 5:19 PM

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SUQUAMISH — The Suquamish Tribal Council unanimously passed an ordinance Monday to allow same-sex marriage.

The ordinance change was on the council’s agenda for about two years now, Chairman Leonard Forsman said. However, Heather Purser, a Suquamish tribal member, pushed to raise the ordinance higher up the council’s priority list, Forsman said.

“There wasn’t any huge opposition,” Forsman said. Whenever the council does an ordinance change though, it needs to be done with caution.

“So far it’s been pretty indifferent,” he added.

In order for a same-sex couple to be married, at least one of those people needs to be a member of the tribe.

The marriage ordinance is only recognized in Suquamish, unless another jurisdiction recognizes same-sex marriage, Forsman said.

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