Difference between revisions of "The Two-Spirit, Aboriginal, and Native LGBTQ Community"
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* [[Tamati Coffey]], politics, entertainment (television) | * [[Tamati Coffey]], politics, entertainment (television) | ||
+ | * [[Abby Erceg]], professional football/soccer player | ||
'''Taiwan''' | '''Taiwan''' |
Revision as of 21:59, 13 July 2019
The two-spirit and LGBTQ native and aboriginal communities exist around the world and are growing in prominence and influence.
Two-spirit individuals, being those who have both a masculine and feminine spirit, have existed as an alternative gender role in aboriginal and native societies for generations. Historically, native communities considered this trait as a gift - it was only on colonization that the concept was banished and a two-gender hierarchy was imposed. The two-spirit individual's role was to act as important spiritual and cultural advisors, teachers, religious leaders, and community builders within their tribes. They were considered more spiritually gifted, a reflection of the belief that the spirit of an individual is more important than the physical body.
Many of these individuals today are active in the creative and entertainment worlds, notably as writers, poets, playwrights, singers, and dancers. A number of them have successfully entered politics in their local communities and countries. All have been activists for their native traditions while also advocating acceptance and tolerance of the LGBTQ community as a whole.
The group has also established many regional activist organizations to represent them, including NativeOut and Dancing to the Eagle Spirit.
We have identified the following outstanding two-spirit, aboriginal, and native LGBTQ individuals:
Australia
- Don Bemrose, opera singer
- Dameyon Bonson, activist
- Deborah Cheetham, opera singer and playwright
- Casey Conway, rugby player and model
- Michael Costello, HIV consultant
- Shaun Edwards, fashion designer, artist
- Damien Miller, Ambassador
- Chansey Paech, politician
Canada
- Evan Adams, medicine and actor
- Beth Brant, poet and writer
- Corey Bulpitt, artist
- Cris Derksen, singer and musician
- Jeremy Dutcher, singer and musician
- Waawaate Fobister, playwright
- Camryn Harlick, activist
- Bretten Hennam, filmmaker
- Rene Highway, actor
- Tomson Highway, playwright
- Leah Horlick, poet and writer
- Devery Jacobs, actor
- Mathias Jolly, writer
- Edward Lavallee, academic, activist
- Lee Maracle, academic, writer and poet
- Albert McLeod, consultant
- Billy Merasty, actor and writer
- Kent Monkman, artist
- Daniel David Moses, poet, playwright, and academic
- Candy Palmater, comedian
- Alan Polchies Jr., politics
- Chevi Rabbit, activist
- Jack Saddleback, artist
- She King, pop singer
- Adrian Stimson, artist
- Teddy Syrette, activist
- Jenna Talackova, model
- Michael Tarko, academic
- Joshua Whitehead, poet, writer
- Massey Whiteknife, businessman and entertainer (Iceis Rain)
- Tuma Young, academic
Guam
- Benjamin Cruz,Guam - politician and lawyer
Mexico
- We'wha, activist
New Zealand
- Tamati Coffey, politics, entertainment (television)
- Abby Erceg, professional football/soccer player
Taiwan
- Suming Rupi, singer, songwriter, actor
United States
- Paula Gunn Allen, poet
- Susan Allen, politician
- Adelina Anthony, artist
- Randy Burns, activist
- Chrystos, poet
- Sharice Davids, politician and lawyer
- Qwo-Li Driskill, academic and poet
- Sydney Freeland, filmmaker
- Jewelle Gomez, writer
- Angel Haze, rapper and hip hop artist
- Cheyenne Jackson, actor
- Jack Jackson, politician
- Richard Lafortune, activist
- Donna M. Loring, journalist and politician
- Al McAffrey, politician
- Rahul Mehta, writer
- Jason Mraz, singer/songwriter
- Tommy Pico, poet
- Heather Purser, activist
- Santino Rice, fashion designer
- Jock Soto, dancer
- Max Wolf Valerio, poet
- Storme Webber, poet
Venezuela
- Patricia Velasquez, model and actor
Further Reading/Research
- http://people.ucalgary.ca/~ptrembla/aboriginal/two-spirited-american-indian-resources.htm
- http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/11/two-spirit-people-north-america
- http://nativeout.com/twospirit-rc/two-spirit-101/
- http://www.2spirits.com/index.html
- http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2015/9/22/inside-native-american-two-spirit-society
- https://lgbt.wisc.edu/documents/two-spirit-resource-directory-jan-2013.pdf