For Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, and Queer Pri Month, Dennis Zotigh, a cultural specialist at the Natnal Mm of the Amerin Indian, ved Native iends to tell how their tradnal culture saw s LGBTQ members. A Chirihua Apache iend replied, “Now, Dennis, this is a human qutn, not [jt] Native.” We agree. But we also appreciate hearg what Native Amerins have learned, renstcted, or been unable to renstct about this part of our shared history and experience.
Contents:
- THE SURPRISG HISTORY OF GAY MARRIAGE THE NAVAJO NATN
- MORE THAN JT THE “GAY INDIANS”
- NATIVE AMERIN YEARNS FOR OLD VIEWS OF GAYS, LBIANS
THE SURPRISG HISTORY OF GAY MARRIAGE THE NAVAJO NATN
"Two-Spir" beme the morn term for this tribe member at the third annual tertribal Native Amerin/First Natns gay and lbian nference Wnipeg, Canada, McLeod was one of the people at this nference. "Even wh our own muni, or our own trib, sometim we've had to al wh the homophobia and the transphobia, " says Mattee Jim of Albuquerque, New Mexi. "Jt bee someone is digeno and gay do not mean they tomatilly intify as you're non-digeno and feel that your mascule and feme tras make you Two-Spir, thk aga.
"That they're able to get their tn, whether that's middle school or high school to graduate wh a diploma, to go to universy if they wish, to have a reer, to have a fay of their own – to really crease the homophobia and transphobia that would prevent that.
Important:Ed Sheeran thought he was gay as a child: We need to talk about why. Borrs: the Navajo Pulls a CharlottvilleBut unlike those the 50 stat, Native Amerins who support gay marriage—a aln of LGBT Navajo, their alli, and even the leadg ndidate nng for the Navajo princy—have history on their Navajos have a rich, documented history of acceptg and even honorg people that intified wh different genrs and sexual fact, as recently as 10 years ago, same-sex unns were regnized by the Navajos. “We were regnizg same-sex unns between a man and a man and a woman and a woman long before whe people me on to this land, ” Alray Nelson, lead anizer at the Coaln for Navajo Equaly, a lol muny group workg to end the ban on gay marriage, told changed 2005, when, followg the footsteps of the U.
MORE THAN JT THE “GAY INDIANS”
Two-spir dividuals who intify wh male and female spirs make some of the same pots Nelson mak: before lonizatn Native Amerins honored those that didn’t f to the tradnal genr the activists are succsful and ph the Navajo Natn to lift the ban on gay marriage, uld have a sweepg effect. “I thk people slanr two-spirs as ‘gay Indians. “Some misnceptns are all two-spir people are transgenr femal or drag queens, but they are jt feme gay native men, ” Co-Cke’ said.
“My trib are; Mgee Creek, who know we exist but are not embracg our culture; Blackfeet, who are aware of the tradn and mostly except ; Osage, who are mostly supportive of gay marriage, but haven’t embraced the two-spirt culture and Peoria, who do not except the culture, ” Co-Cke’ said. The Gayly regniz there are many other trib and two-spir muni not regnized this article but acknowledg their existence and importance to the unrstandg of two-spir culture.
Copyright The Gayly – October 29, 2018 @ 12 p.
NATIVE AMERIN YEARNS FOR OLD VIEWS OF GAYS, LBIANS
“All my life, I was told that beg gay was wrong, pecially at the rervatn, ” said Stabler, now 32. It wasn’t always that direct, but “I felt like nobody liked gay people.
But there was a different time, when gays and lbians were not only accepted Native muni but, some s, revered bee they embodied the “two spirs:” male and female.