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
- NATIVE AMERIN YEARNS FOR OLD VIEWS OF GAYS, LBIANS
- TWO-SPIR PEOPLE: GAYS ACCEPTED BY NATIVE AMERINS
- MORE THAN JT THE “GAY INDIANS”
THE SURPRISG HISTORY OF GAY MARRIAGE THE NAVAJO NATN
* gay native american indians *
In Evans plays the betiful storyteller Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who provis the heart of the film (the greatt acplishment is that Adams keeps dienc' attentns rapt, even scen wh stars Adam Beach and Irene Bedard), now 46, reteamed wh Signals filmmaker Sherman Alexie 2002 to star the gay Native Amerin film The Bs of Fancydancg. June is Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, and Queer Pri Month the Uned Stat. Native natns are siar to other world populatns the mographic reprentatn of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr dividuals.
NATIVE AMERIN YEARNS FOR OLD VIEWS OF GAYS, LBIANS
Lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr Amerin Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) adults have higher levels of mental health issu, physil abe and enomic * gay native american indians *
Adopted as part of the morn pan-Indian vobulary 1990 durg the third annual ter-tribal Native Amerin/First Natns Gay and Lbian Amerin Conference, Wnipeg, Manoba, refers to dividuals who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgenr, transsexual, or genr-fluid. For our pri observance this year, the mm asked our Native iends, “How did your tribe tradnally view dividuals who are lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr? My grandmother, the late Lucy Lewis, had gay and lbian iends.
In class, we briefly discsed homosexualy among Native Amerins and how was tradnally celebrated.
As we know, this mentaly is very different when pared to the lonial whe Amerin homophobia (for Christian reasons, of urse). Personally, I have never unrstood what the hype is about homosexualy.
TWO-SPIR PEOPLE: GAYS ACCEPTED BY NATIVE AMERINS
But as we know, many Christians thk homosexualy is a big al; they thk ’s a s, evil, and unnatural.
MORE THAN JT THE “GAY INDIANS”
In sum, I’ve never agreed wh the whe Christian Amerin view of homosexualy. If anythg, I thk homosexualy is ol: a viewpot siar to many Native Amerin trib.
The “Berdache” (Native Amerin homosexuals) were thought to live “outsi the world” and be of “two spirs”. In fact, homosexualy was enuraged to the pot where was nsired normal for men to have gay sex, even if they weren’t actually homosexual.
And if the wiv of men were homosexuals or had affairs wh the same sex, the hbands were nsired highly honorable. Homosexuals were thought of as beg more tuive, nurturg, wise, and skilled. Gay children were highly teemed and valued; parents would often try to teach homosexualy to their children wh hop that the child would bee homosexual, or bee “Berdache”.