Minnesota’s Susan Allen, Native American and lesbian, brings distinct experience to state legislature

As voters head to the caucuses in Minnesota today, they’re also getting ready for a controversial amendment later this year. This November, voters will decide on a measure that would ban same-sex marriage. Groups for and against the amendment are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, but as the campaigns compete to win over voters, the state did make history recently. Last month, voters elected the first openly gay Native American to a state legislature. Democrat Susan Allen is Lakota, Dakota and Anishinabe. She is a tax and tribal law attorney. As a Native woman and a lesbian, Allen has faced barriers and overcome discrimination throughout her life. FSRN’s Dixie Treichel recently spoke to Allen for KFAI community radio.