Deborah Begay

Judge Deborah Ann Begay made history in 2020 by being the first Native American Two Spirit elected to the Maricopa Justice Court. That election was her first run at public office. Judge Begay is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She is a Mexican Clan born for the Towering House Clan. Her paternal clan is Mountain Cove and her maternal clan is Bitter Water. This is her identity as a Diné woman. Judge Begay earned her B.A. in Native American History from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Her focus was Federal Indian Law. Judge Begay is a veteran of the United States Navy. She has proudly served 18 years in the Naval Reserves. She is a single mother of three spirited children. She is a sought-after speaker on matters concerning LGBTQ2S inclusive practices in the workplace, restorative justice, tribal sovereignty, and voting rights for marginalized communities. Judge Begay strongly believes the world would be a safe place to live if all human beings committed to racial justice, gender justice, and reproductive justice. It takes the whole community, whether you believe it touches you or not, to dismantle the systems that continue to oppress marginalized communities.