Six Great Things That Happened This Week

A Republican stalwart and a whole nation come out for marriage equality, a great band comes out against hate, Stephen Fry and lesbian moms make international news, and activists stick up for their rights down under.

BY Diane Anderson-Minshall

March 15 2013 2:26 PM ET

One More Nation Gets Marriage Equality

Dexter McNamara (pictured above), chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian tribe in northern Michigan, signed a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage, becoming only the third American Indian tribe to do so. Even better, according to NBC News, McNamara then officiated a wedding between two tribal memebers, Tim LaCroix, 53, and Gene Barfield, 60. The ceremony was held in both English and the tribe's native language.

According to NBC, LaCroix, who once worked with McNamara, called to ask him about signing the bill while McNamara was pondering his decision on it. He told reporters, “I started thinking about it, and that’s when I decided that, you know, we all deserve to be happy," he said, "and everybody is happy in different ways, they show their love in different ways, and I decided to sign it.”