June is Pride Month, and as a double member of the LGBQTI2S+ community, I’m proud to share June with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples for National Indigenous History month.
While terms and concepts related to sexual preference, gender identity, and ally-ship are new and, unfortunately, still contested by some groups in western(ized) cultures, many Indigenous Peoples have embraced gender and sexual diversity within their communities long before European colonists ever set foot on their lands.
The English term “two-spirit” was coined in 1990 after collaboration between several Indigenous and Native tribes in Canada. The purpose was largely to combat the heavily discriminatory and colonialist undertones of English terms used to refer to LGBQTI2S+ folk. Because of the varied languages of these bands, however, the term is not synonymous in all Indigenous languages.
While English has several different words to describe various sexual and gender diversities, two-spirit has historically been applied more inclusively and generally. While it may apply to someone whose gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth as many might expect, it can also refer to anyone who does not conform to traditional gender roles or stereotypes regardless of pronouns, or someone who embodies both feminine and masculine traits, depending on each individual Nation’s cultural beliefs, practices, and societal values.
It’s interesting to note that ‘two-spirit’ can be but usually isn’t applied to individuals with non-heterosexual preferences. The binary of heterosexual versus homosexual is very much a Western cultural concept, and many Indigenous cultures have historically not defined sexuality so rigidly, and thus there typically was not a need for such terms. In cases where it might be needed or useful, however, a term like ‘two-spirit’ would likely have been used.
This Pride month, I will be reflecting on what I’ve learned about two-spirit, and how the values and beliefs that underpin it differ from my own understanding. Whether you’re a member of the LGBQTI2S+ community or an ally, I hope you will join me in this reflection, and work towards being even more open-minded and inclusive to all of us under the rainbow. Check out this website for more great info on what two-spirit means.
Author: Lexa, ITMP Blog Writer
Photo Credits: Lexa, ITMP Blog Writer
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