every culture since the dawn of time had #trans people

2 spirit people of indigenous north america

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-spirit

the 5 genders of the bugis in indonesia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_in_Bugis_society

gala priests of sumeria, scythian enarei, india's ancient hijra community

etc, etc

#transgender people have always been with us

and always will be with us

they are an essential thread in the fabric of human existence

forever

#transdayofvisibility #tdov

@benroyce I agree that individuals who don't conform to a binary nature have been around since the beginning, however, the two-spirit designation is modern, and a source of contention to many Indigenous peoples who view it as a misrepresentation of their highly diverse cultures. In a nutshell, modern pan-Indigenous narratives deminish their individual tribal histories by lumping all Natives of the Americans together.

@desertsquare @benroyce 2 spirit was coined in 1990, and the monoculture point is well made.

“It is important to remember that notions, ideas, and identities should not be generalized to all Indigenous peoples and cultures. Due to the diverse and culturally specific nature of these traditions and understandings, it is crucial to recognize that the concept of 2S folks is not universal to all Indigenous worldviews”

But trans being part of the human fabric is valid.

https://www.indigenousnetwork.org/post/the-history-of-two-spirit-folks

The History of Two-Spirit Folks

@desertsquare @benroyce Just because any group denied their existence doesn’t remove their existence.

With regards to the blanket “Indigenous people acknowledged trans people,” it would be better to recognize that “some” Indigenous tribes recognized trans people or even name specific tribes.

@CStamp
The only point I'm making is the inaccuracy of lumping indigenous peoples together as pan-indigenous. It's a topic that doesn't get much attention and is the source of ethnic tensions that many non-indigenous people are unaware of.
@benroyce

@desertsquare @CStamp

i have 500 characters and do not have the room to elucidate the entire controversy. i merely refer to something that is true: the transgender community exists in indigenous nations, however the nuance as you accurately portray. it is indeed inaccurate to merely refer to "indigenous" peoples and not delineate every nation's traditions properly

the issue is well known, it is cited in the link in the first few paragraphs

i speak positively in the space i am allowed

@benroyce
Fair enough. Sorry, I didn't follow the Wikipedia link, I only read your words.
@CStamp

@desertsquare @CStamp

no, your clarifications are solid and i don't want to dissuade you. where you see this issue of indigenous peoples swept under one big fake tent instead of the truth: many nations, you should speak out

i'm just clarifying i was 100% aware of what you were saying before you said it, but the problem of brevity meant i didn't get into it

and i'm just trying to keep things positive and upbeat today on this topic