Hey, did we mention it’s election day? Yeah? Well, we’ll probably mention it a few more times today – as will the rest of the nation.
Don’t worry, though, after tomorrow we won’t have to deal with it…oh, right, all the voting machine nightmares and legal dramas probably won’t wrap up until January. God, why can’t we just have a good ol’ shoot-out or something? What’s so special about this democracy business, anyway? It sure as fuck isn’t working in Iraq.
But, we digress. While many people watch key races in Wisconsin, New York and Colorado (Ted Haggard, did you vote?), members of the Navajo Nation have a relatively unpublicized, yet just as monumental presidential election today.
As in so many other races, the two candidates: incumbent Joe Shirley Jr (pictured) and lady upstart, Linda Lovejoy, couldn’t be more different when it comes to homosexuality.
Shirley vetoed a proposed ban on gay-marriage, only to have the tribal council strike down his vote. In a 2005 interview with Democracy Now!, Shirley insisted that gay-marriage in the Navajo Nation’s a non-issue. Thus, there’s no reason to ban it:
Nobody is coming forward to say that, you know — gay people, they’re not coming forward to say, we want to get married in the tribal courts. It’s not an issue, and I don’t know why the Nation’s council is concerned about it, and they have passed a legislation to say that we shall not have it. There are other issues that they really ought to be concerned about, you know: the driving under the influence is really killing a lot of people, even the young; bootlegging; domestic violence; gangs. These are just some of the issues that we really need to be working on, and doing something about, not banning same sex marriage.
Meanwhile, Lovejoy doesn’t seem to know what she thinks about homosexuality. According to 365 Gay, within a span of a few hours, Lovejoy called homosexuality “a lifestyle choice” and equated it with a “birth defect”.
At a forum in Albuquerque Lovejoy called homosexuality a birth defect.
“Some of our children are born with physical impairments, and it’s not the baby’s fault. … That person is special, that individual is special,” she said at the forum. “I feel the same way about sexual orientation: everyone is special.”
Later, when pressed by a local television station she suggested sexuality was a matter of choice.
“I respect everyone and that’s their choice, that’s their lifestyle they choose,” she said.
Not surprisingly, the confused woman hasn’t come out publicly on gay-marriage. Given the tribal council’s ardent opposition (not to mention veto power), we can’t imagine how a presidential shift will change the matter.
If Lovejoy does win the presidency, she’ll be the first female president in the nation’s history. If she loses….well, she won’t be.
Brandan shakey
Hello Mr. Shirley. Im brandan shakey and i wanted to tell you that i am with you all the way… thank you … sincerly BRANDAN SHAKEY
Marvin
well i hate Lovejoy ideas and i’m going to have to go with Shirley….No lady can’t lead the Navajo Nation..
Matthew Tso
Hey Brandan Shakey
Hey you there, Mr. Shirley is mine. I said it first…”I am with you Joe all the way…”
Joe call me, you have my number, You go girl.
Goshh, i am so glad we beat lovejoy, proud of you Joe.
lorena begaye
will i think its all about changes in the navajo nation and i have to agree with LOVEJOY here because SHIRLEY dont think about all the families in the Navajo Nation just for himself. It took him a while to do the things he PROMISE we the people. Its all about CHANGES here and I think LOVEJOY can give us that. We LADY know what needs to be done!!!
the devil in disguise
Screw Joe Shirley! The only reason he was reelected was because the entire Navajo Nation was afraid to see how much ass Linda Lovejoy could kick. Four more years is all you got left sucker, before Linda Lovejoy kicks your ass out of office. The fight is not over.
Brandan
Hello Mr. Shirley, i wanted to bring an issue up. Many Native americans in Tsa Ya Toh , New Mexico are going through winter without running water and heating, so maybe one of these days you could visit Tsa Ya Toh, New Mexico. Thank You Sir
Brandan Shakey
Good Afternoon Mr. Shirley,
I wanted to tell you that i’m so dissappointed in the reason why you veto the Commercial Tabacco Act. I mean why? This is for future generation to stop the YOUTH, and to me it seems like you only care for money? not the people. But i’ll tell you this much Dr. Patricia Henderson and Our CHRY program will stop this non-sense. No matter how long i live this will not be tolerated. I can assure you that. This navajo nation Is just greedy, and you wonder why we say we need a better economy???
Thanks you Brandan shakey