Indigenous American two-spirit people were male, female, and sometimes intersexed individuals who combined activities of both men and women with traits unique to their status as two-spirit people. In most tribes, they were considered neither men nor women; they occupied a distinct, alternative gender status. But modern European Americans can’t even wrap the concept of preferred pronouns around their minds.
Two-spirit identity was widely believed to be the result of supernatural intervention in the form of visions or dreams and sanctioned by tribal mythology. In many tribes, two spirit people filled special religious roles as healers, shamans, and ceremonial leaders.
The term Two-Spirit is a direct translation of the Ojibwe term, Niizh manidoowag. “Two-Spirited” or “Two-Spirit” is usually used to indicate a person whose body simultaneously houses a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit.
My father still claims, 23 years after I came out, that he never knew I was gay until that postcard from the gay bar with me on it came to the house.
I came out at 21 to family not by choice. I was a NY club kid and it was 2000.
I was a wild boy back then, drove into the city every Thursday evening and came home Sunday afternoon. Tunnel, Limelight, Twilo, Roxy, Webster Hall……after parties till 8 am. Hanging with famous people, Britney’s backup dancers and pretty model boys. It was a thing. And… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
On occasion I would end up in local NY and queer magazines. One night at Tunnel, the Kurfew party, I was photographed while sucking a blowpop and rolling my ass off on ecstasy and cocaine. I was super skinny and looked like shit. That image was used on a promo postcard and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…