Becoming Two-Spirit: Gay Identity and Social Acceptance in Indian Country

3. Adapting to Homophobia among Indians

chapter three Adapting to Homophobia among Indians 52 Adapting to Homopobia among Indians 53 All of the Two-Spirit men in this book have had to, at one time or another ,keep their sexual orientation a secret or attempt to“pass”to avoid bringing attention to their difference. Two-Spirit men have dealt with this necessity in various ways, both within Indian and non-Indian social contexts, such as denying one’s orientation or “butching it up” to feign hypermasculinity. This division is not much different than the experiences of non-Indian gays who live with a“secret”kept from families , employers, and friends. For the Two-Spirit man, however, the divided life is exacerbated by growing up knowing that the tribal identity emphasized by one’s family and community does not include same-sex desire. As they grew up, the men I talked to were made distinctly aware that homosexuality was not an acceptable human characteristic and especially not an acceptable part of Indianness. In previous chapters we learned that the term Two-Spirit gave the men a way to resolve this division , but outside Two-Spirit social contexts this reconciliation is largely metaphorical. The men in this book feel that their tribal communities and Native society as a whole remain hostile to their sexual orientation and gender difference, so for reasons of self-preservation they must keep their racial identity separated from their sexual identity when among other Indians. Homophobia among Native peoples has required Two-Spirit men to construct a division between Indian social worlds and their sexual orientation and gender identity. This division becomes reflected in the adaptations that most Two-Spirit men have learned to use when dealing with non-gay Indians. Men participate in Native social events such as powwows and go to ceremony, but do so within the expectations of “male” members of that community, not as Two-Sprit men. Hiding their identity during their participation is seen as not equivalent to participating as a Two-Spirit person. That is, men feel that they are being held to the standards associated with anatomical sex versus their sexual and gender identity. The desire to participate as a Two-Spirit person is complicated by the lack of specific cultural practices incorporating 54 Adapting to Homophobia among Indians their difference. Accordingly, their frustration with not being incorporated is exacerbated by their knowledge that, historically, men who shared their differences were publicly inducted into Native societies, as well as given positions of prestige. I purposefully do not focus on information derived from non-gay Indians. Because this book is about the ways Two-Spirit men experience being Two-Spirit, I feel that it is appropriate to focus on the ways they see themselves in relation to non-gay Indians, their families, and larger Native social values as well as the ways that they actively attempt to adapt to a social environment they perceive as hostile to their identity. Witnessing a Contradiction Recent academic writing stresses the acceptance of gender diversity in historic and contemporary Indian communities. However, the majority of Two-Spirit men I encountered had multiple negative experiences with their fellow tribespeople and Native people in general surrounding their identity as gay and Two-Spirit.1 Some Two-Spirit men do actively participate in their communities and are assumed to be gay by friends and family,but they are seldom open about their sexual orientation out of fear of alienation. Two-Spirit men assume that openness about their orientation will assuredly negate any respect, status, and privileges afforded them within tribal society. Therefore, a significant problem arises when individuals desire to participate in their communities while desiring to be open about their sexual orientation. TwoSpirit people’s feelings of alienation are exacerbated by the assumption that non-gay Indians will judge them according to their sexuality and gender orientation,not their commitment to the preservation of Native ways of life. Despite the academic reworking, interpretations of Native American gender diversity ignore the significant role that dominant conceptions of same-sex desire play in contemporary Two-Spirit identity. Almost every Two-Spirit man I met, talked to, interviewed, and spent time with emphasized that his/her identity was less about sexual orientation and more about being Native. At the same time, Two-Spirit men are very Adapting to Homophobia among Indians 55 vocal about the ways homophobia affects their participation in...