Eight LGBT Native Americans You Should Know

Susan Allen

When Susan Allen became the first Native American woman elected to Minnesota legislature earlier this year, it was a major accomplishment for the tribal attorney, who grew up in a poor family and paved her own path to success. A member of the Rosebud Tribe in South Dakota, Allen is only the second out lesbian legislator in Minnesota history, and she told reporters (via press release) that the victory was the natural progression of what she was supposed to do. "As a Native woman and lesbian I know what it's like to be left out, to not have a voice," she said. One of her recent accomplishments as a representative? Helping defeat the the Minnesota constitutional amendment ballot initiative that would have banned same-sex marriage.