Jason Pickel recently married Darren Black Bear in Oklahoma
A gay couple was married in Oklahoma, and the state may be forced to recognize it because they were married on a reservation, according to KOCO, an Oklahoma City television station. The marriage is legal under tribal law.
The couple was initially going to go to Iowa to marry. Before leaving for another state, they inquired about the possibility of marrying on their reservation. The tribal code on the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservations only requires that the couple be Native American and live within the tribe’s jurisdiction.
Jason Pickel and Darren Black Bear were issued a marriage license for $20 and became the first same-sex couple married in Oklahoma.
According to the couple, they know state offices won’t recognize the marriage, “but they kind of have to.”