title: Native American men-women, lesbians, two-spirits: Contemporary and historical perspectives.
abstract: People living in the role of the "other" sex in Native American cultures, often entering into same-sex relationships, have been subject to various anthropological, historical, and psychological analyses and interpretations. Most recently, there has been a shift to an indigenist/decolonial interdisciplinary focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Native people. This article gives a discussion of approaches to the subject, with a focus on female gender variability. An overview is given of the latter, complemented by a discussion of the identities and concerns of contemporary Native lesbians, many of whom identify as "two-spirit," a term that alludes to the dual, spiritually powerful nature traditionally attributed in a number of Native American cultures to individuals who combine the feminine and masculine.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: Native American/Alaska Native; Native lesbians; gender diversity; gender variance; homosexuality; identity; men-women; queer indigenous studies; women-men, two-spirit people