Gay Couple Gets Legally Married in Oklahoma Thanks to Loophole
Governor Chris Christie's decision to allow same-sex marriages to proceed in New Jersey wasn't the only come from behind victory for gays this week.
Without nearly as much fanfare, same-sex partners Jason Pickel and Darren Black Bear were able to exploit a loophole in Oklahoma law in order to become the state's first legally married gay couple.
Despite being one of the gayest states, Oklahoma prohibits same-sex marriage in the strictest of terms, and a resolution to reaffirm the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman passed unanimously in the state's House of Representatives earlier this year (though 16 Democrats did walk out in protest).
However, after the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the Supreme Court back in June (over Oklahoma's objection), Pickel decided to phone up the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe's courthouse to see if he and his partner could tie the knot.
"I was really expecting a big no," Pickel told KOCO. "I thought we're on our way to Iowa, but I called the tribe and they said, 'Yeah come on down, it's twenty bucks.'"
The tribal code states that any two people of Native American descent who live within the tribe's jurisdiction can get a marriage license, irrespective of gender.
Pickel and Black Bear meet both requirements.
Despite the historic significance of their legally-binding union, Pickel says the fight is far from won.
"When we have equality in all 50 states and all U.S. territories that is when we'll have true equality," he said. "That's when I will be truly, truly happy."
