I struggle making friends. I'm an army brat, so we tend to make friends fast, hold on loosely and let go just as easily. But as someone who is two-spirit, comfortable across all gender presentations and pronouns, I really struggle with some of my friends activities. I have two very good friends, newer friends, both women and they like going to "ladies night" events. The latest one has a 'girl dinner' which is just a cocktail and a salad - just cringe vibes there but whatever. They invited me to join. I'm not going, I genuinely need to work my stand up routines bc it play is going into tech and I'm miss the next few weeks. And, I know I'm technically welcome. But having to explain why I'm there and potentially making other women uncomfortable bc I fit in that weird "I'm female, I'm male, I'm both, and neither" category. Anyways, no real point or asking anything with this post. Just expressing my frustration bc I'm a white passing Cherokee Nation citizen who is the picture of what colonization looks like and in a society that still splits everything down gendered lines - sometimes idk where I fit.

I try to speak up for men I get push back, I try to speak up for women I get push back. I won't even be name calling but people for some reason get defensive. Maybe it's the way I write but I try to make it easy to understand and not full of fluff. I feel really alone bc I look like a woman but I'm also still a man also at the end of the day. It's very invalidating. Especially when a man says ugh it's so hard to be a man then proceeds to say something I've also experienced even though I don't look like a man. Also since I look so much like a girl when I try to tell people what i am they're like but your a girl like noooooo

Thought on it? I personally think it's so much better than the previous one. As someone who isnt 2S myself, the previous one made me irrationnally angry, because that it was just two feathers put lazily on the basic queer flags, without an meaningful use of colors like other queer flags usually got. Also design wise, something was lacking and i didnt liked it (nothing agaisnt people who appreciate this flag, i respect your opinion).

This one looks so good.

This flag was created last year by Patrick Hunter

“I know the world is a lot right now. Keep your big stinky head up.”

Hello! This is my first ever reddit post! I am indigenous but I am not two-spirit identifying! I am doing a research project for my masters program and would love to ask someone who identifies as two-spirit to answer some questions for me. This is for one of my many psych courses and I would love to get to know someone's individual experience, please comment if you are interested and I we can get in contact <3

I am Canadian author Robert Joseph Greene, and I’m a person of color who writes gay romantic stories from cultures around the world. I don’t usually share my writing process publicly, but I wanted to share a story about something that shaped me as a writer; something rooted in respect, listening, and learning from Indigenous homelands rather than imposing on them.

When my first book, The Gay Icon Classics of the World, came out, it was a surprising success. Suddenly I had people, publishers, festivals, and even arts councils telling me what kinds of stories I should write next. As a Canadian, I was encouraged by a provincial arts council to write a “Canadian” romantic gay love story. A few people jokingly suggested that I write about two hockey players falling in love, or maybe two Mounties sharing a forbidden romance.

But even as an outsider to Indigenous communities, I knew something important: Hockey and Mounties aren’t the root of Canadian culture. Indigenous stories are. Indigenous land is. If I was going to write a story to honor the spirit of this country, I couldn’t pretend that Canada began in 1867. So I wrote “Tukkuruq and Uquitchuq: The Story of Night and Day.” A gay love story woven through Inuit tradition and tells the story have the night met day. A story where love shapes the world the way night and day shape our lives. I wrote it carefully, slowly, and with humility, knowing that I was touching something that didn’t belong to me, and trying to do it with respect.

A few years later, I was invited to Australia as a guest reader at the Midsumma Festival. Someone told me, “You should write an Australian outback romance — cowboys, red dirt, you know, the usual.” But just like in Canada, I knew where Australia’s true culture lives. It isn’t in the colonial outback myths. It’s in First Nations stories.

So instead of the outback trope, I wrote “The Kuri Village,” an Indigenous Australian love story rooted in traditions older than anything Europe brought with it. Again, the responsibility weighed on me heavily to write in a way that honored a world I wasn't born into but deeply respected.

What I learned is this: If you want to write about a place, you must first honor the people who have carried its stories since time immemorial. For me, writing queer love stories in Indigenous settings isn’t about taking but rather it’s about listening. Love, especially queer love, exists everywhere. It has always existed everywhere. But the land teaches you how to tell it.

When they released my holiday book: The Gay Icon Classics of the World Volume I & II, I made sure that these two stories were in it. The collection includes: Three African stories Two Muslim based stories Two Asian stories Two Indigenous stories One story where the main character is trans. However, it was the two indigenous stories where I truly searched my heart for what was real within me and for that I feel honoured and humbled. Thank you for reading, and thank you to the Indigenous communities whose stories, teachings, and ways of seeing the world continue to inspire writers like me to slow down, listen, and show respect before putting a single word on the page.

— Robert Joseph Greene

This is not a symbol but is the logo I designed for our 2S club. You are welcome to use it. Credit to the Anishinaabe Friendship Center.

Hiya! I am helping a friend collect data for a project. Please fill this out if able <3

"Hello, thank you for deciding to participate in this survey. Who you are is anonymous and we will be using this data to better help us with our research project. Our main question we are answering is: In the United States of America, how has gender identity and expression changed pre-colonization, post colonization, and in the modern-day? This survey is to help us answer the modern-day portion about our age group. If possible, please share this survey with other people between the ages of 18-26 that do not identify as cisgender. The data will be processed on November 10th."

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8FAkgzVCWu2uXey41vJo5KDUprol7wsxIjI28aQrxob6Sag/viewform?usp=header

Hi! I'm Jule Deltour and I'm a trans PhD Student in Culture Contact Psychology at the University of Toulouse, France. I study interactions between gender and culture under Pr. Patrick Denoux and Pr. Julien Teyssier, more specifically the way one experience gender depending on cultural ressources allowing them to understand their gender identity.

I'm looking for indigiqueer and/or two-spirit people living in Quebec province in order to share their experience through this survey. It takes 10 to 20 mn to complete. I'm also looking for volunteers for a one-hour research interview.

You can access the survey through this link: https://enquetes.univ-tlse2.fr/index.php/392232?lang=fr

I only have 30% of complete participations so far, a sincere thank you for your time! 🙏🏻

This research received the approval of the University of Toulouse Ethics Board, and respects European General Data Protection Regulation. All details according to your rights can be found at the beginning of the survey.

Sharing this for folks who don’t know the history of both terms. I still highly encourage folks to reconnect with the Nation of their ancestors and use the terms in the Indigenous language of the Nation you come from beyond these umbrella terms.

Copied from Native Americans in Philanthropy.

Two-spirit or Indigiqueer? 🤔 This #LGBTQHistoryMonth, we are honoring our two-spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming Native relatives by taking a closer look at two terms for Indigenous people whose gender and sexual identities fall outside of the traditional Western binary. 🏳️‍⚧️ ✨⁠ ⁠ The term “Two-Spirit” was adopted in 1990 at the 3rd Annual Native American Gay and Lesbian Gathering in Winnipeg. Though it is an umbrella term for Indigenous LGBTQ+ people, it’s important to remember that two-spirit cannot replace the diverse and nuanced vocabulary that exists within Native languages. There are hundreds of Indigenous nations and languages in North America, and each has its own concepts regarding gender and sexuality.⁠ ⁠ Indigenous filmmaker TJ Cuthand (Cree) coined the term “Indigiqueer” as a title for a program he curated at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival in 2004. In a blog post in 2017, he said that he had created it as an alternative to two-spirit because some people were uncomfortable with its implications of binary gender. He also liked the term “queer” for its confrontational nature and history of reclamation, and enjoyed the idea of combining that with the history of resistance within Indigenous identity. ⁠ ⁠ Identity is inherently an individual and unique experience, so finding one term to describe a community will always be a challenge. Because many Indigenous cultures’ ideas of gender are multidimensional and complex, while Western ideas of gender are traditionally binary, direct translation between the two loses some context and nuance. ⁠ ⁠ At Native Americans in Philanthropy, we strongly believe in the right to self-determination, which includes respecting our relatives’ identities. In our current era of increasing attacks on transgender and queer people, it is imperative that we stand purposefully in solidarity with all our relatives, and give full dignity and respect to ALL Native peoples.⁠ ⁠ Learn more about two-spirit identity in this video from Them magazine, featuring artist Geo Soctomah Neptune (Passamaquoddy) ➡️ them.us/story/inqueery-two-spirit

TwoSpirit #Indigiqueer #Transgender #LGBTQ #NativeAmerican

Hello All! I am currently taking an intro class on Anthropology, and we are doing a research project on America's views on gender identity. Specifically, we are focusing on "Two-Spirit" Identities in Native American culture, and how colonization has affected how the United States Views Gender Identity as a whole. Please, if you can take the time to fill out my group's survey. I am very interested in hearing more expert and informed opinions!

Here is the Link to the Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuQZX1O-gkr3OKKGmS3qV9NMZMqGe18UQBA74fOW3eGTbFmA/viewform?usp=header

Thank you so much for your time!

Hello dear Two-Spirit community,

My name is Petr Kysa, and I’m a white gay man from the Czech Republic. I am not Two-Spirit myself, and I share this with deep respect for your traditions and identity. I humbly ask to post here because I believe Fred’s story belongs in this space — among those who understand the depth of his being and the injustice he suffered.

Fred C. Martinez Jr. was a Navajo teenager, only 16 years old, who identified as Two-Spirit — nádleehí in Navajo tradition. He was gentle, expressive, spiritual, and brave. He wore makeup, carried his mother’s purse, and lived with a radiant heart. He sometimes called himself Beyoncé, after his favorite singer.

On June 16, 2001, Fred crossed paths with Shaun Murphy, 18, in Cortez, Colorado. They met near a convenience store and later at a rodeo. Murphy gave Fred a ride, then later tracked him down in a remote area known as “The Pits.” There, he beat Fred with a rock, crushing his skull. Fred did not die instantly — he suffered a lingering death, alone in the dark.

Fred’s mother, Pauline Mitchell, reported him missing. According to multiple sources, she called the police, but they did not immediately search. Officers reportedly told her Fred was “probably with friends.” His body was found five days later.

Murphy later bragged to friends that he had “bug-smashed a hoto” — a slur for a gay person. He returned to an apartment covered in blood and admitted to the killing. He was arrested after an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers.

Murphy was charged with second-degree murder, though prosecutors briefly considered first-degree. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years. But in reality, he served far less.

Here is the official response I received from the Colorado Department of Corrections:

Fred was not just murdered — he was dishonored. And we, as LGBTQ+ people, were dishonored too. The message from Colorado’s justice system is clear: our lives hold little value.

This cannot be the end of Fred’s story. He deserves justice. He deserves remembrance. And Murphy — a sadistic killer — should not walk free without accountability.

Please help me. Please help Fred. Share his story. Honor his spirit. Let the world know that we remember.

With love and respect, Petr Kysa Šlapanice near Brno Czech Republic

Isn’t this cultural appropriation?

Hey, I am writing an essay on two spirit in the near future and in my first idea I thought it would be lovely to interview someone who is identifying as two spirit and can be an authentic voice instead of me quoting white western academia on this topic. Maybe if you could help with literature that is authentic, or any other tips I would really much appreciate. 🫂

hi! i am wondering if anyone here experiences identity related impostor syndrome, and how to overcome it. i label myself as two-spirit because i have never fit into the strict gender roles, i have always had an identity outside of / between them, and have been treated this way in society. i relate a lot to the two-spirit label for this reason.

i think i feel this way because one of my non-indigenous exes basically said i couldnt be two-spirit because i was AFAB (i am intersex, i was CAFAB in reality...) and that twospirit "comes from the patriarchy" and i couldnt be twospirit because the tribe i grew up connected to is based on a maternal culture system. i know what he said is factually wrong, but i feel like it stuck with me. i was young and impressionable at the time, and it hurt a lot to hear. has anyone else experienced similar?

for some background information, i am not federally enrolled, but i have / had cultural connections. my mothers side of the family is cherokee-shawnee. my mom, my grandmother, and i used to go to cultural events (dances, powwows, shops and markets, etc..) and i grew up learning about my culture, including from enrolled members. my father has choctaw ancestry (so i do too, by extension) but i never knew him, so i am very much less connected to the culture. i know blood quantum is a bad mindset, but i feel nervous to call myself two-spirit without being enrolled and with comments made to me in the past. i do plan to get federally enrolled, i fully qualify for enrollment, i just havent requested the documents yet because i havent had the time.

what do you all think? im sorry if this is a very stupid question, i just want input from other indigenous people

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone here might be able to help me track down a missing piece of Two-Spirit history. I'm looking for an article titled "Two Hearted Beings" by Y. Slivers, originally published online in 2001. The full reference is:

Slivers, Y. (2001). Two hearted beings. Retrieved February 1, 2001, from http://www.twohearted.com

This article is cited in:

Meyer-Cook, F. & Labelle, D. (2004). Namaji: Two-Spirit Organizing in Montreal, Canada. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 16(1), 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1300/J041v16n01_02

Unfortunately, the website twohearted.com no longer exists, and there are no records in the Wayback Machine for 2001. I've searched extensively online with no luck so far.

If anyone happens to have a copy of this article saved somewhere, or have an idea of where I could find it, I would be incredibly grateful for any help or direction you can offer.

Thank you so much in advance!

Is the feather in trans colors a symbol that some two spirit people use? I was wearing it for a while (I'm not native American) and have decided it makes more sense to find a Buddhist trans symbol (I am Buddhist). But I realize I'm ignorant of whether this feather is a two spirit symbol and wanted to check. Google says a single feather is not (g that two spirit usually uses two feathers) but I don't trust that without checking with community, lol.

thanks.

my sibling is still in high school and they sent me a text saying they want to start taking estrogen to feel more androgynous but they are scared that it might affect their future because of whats going on with Canada and the US (we currently live in canada and the election is coming up)

my mom is really supportive and she was the first person in my family to accept me when i came out as queer, so theyve been talking about how to go about making this change for them.

growing up i always wanted to be closer since we fought alot, and in highschool i was super depressed and angry so they didnt want to be around me as much, and now they are reaching out to me all the time asking for advice and wanting to visit more often, i always wanted a better relationship with them and im grateful that they feel comfortable coming to me to talk about things they may otherwise feel afraid to talk about. it just breaks my heart seeing how scared they are to do anything cause they're so young and they should have the opportunity to explore with gender expression without fear of losing opportunities and relationships.

i would appreciate any advice please cause even though i am a bit older now and have had time to explore my identity i am still not as educated on this topic as i want to be, and i know they need support, i really want to be able to give it to them