Oregon’s Coquille Indian Tribe’s Tribal Council, the six person governing body for the Tribe, recently passsed an Ordinance allowing domestic partnerships and same sex marriages with a member of the Tribe.

Now, one Tribe member is challenging the approved Ordinance and petitioning to have the Ordinance put to a vote by all Tribe members, numbering approximately 600.

The Ordinance could extend Tribal financial benefits to more people.

The Ordinance would first require the passing of laws to unravel such domestic partnerships and same sex marriages by divorce and to determine child custody. That is expected to take months.

The Ordinance would also recognize domestic partnerships and same sex marriages validly entered in jurisdictions that permit them.

If 200 members of the Tribe join the petition, the Ordinance will be put to a general vote.

The activist cites as his primary concerns about the Ordinance that it imposes vital statistics record-keeping chores that the Tribe does not currently have and that the Ordinance is reportedly contrary to Oregon law as well as federal law

Read more in this Coos Bay Oregon World article: Tribe’s gay marriage law faces challenge.