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

Brian Joseph Gilley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

The Two-Spirit man occupies a singular place in Native American culture, balancing the male and the female spirit even as he tries to blend gay and Native identity. The accompanying ambiguities of gender and culture come into vivid relief in the powerful and poignant Becoming Two-Spirit, the first book to take an in-depth look at contemporary American Indian gender diversity. Drawing on a wealth of observations from interviews, oral histories, and meetings and ceremonies, Brian Joseph Gilley provides an intimate view of how Two-Spirit men in Colorado and Oklahoma struggle to redefine themselves and their communities.

The Two-Spirit men who appear in Gilley’s book speak frankly of homophobia within their communities, a persistent prejudice that is largely misunderstood or misrepresented by outsiders. Gilley gives detailed accounts of the ways in which these men modify gay and Native identity as a means of dealing with their alienation from tribal communities and families. With these compromises, he suggests, they construct an identity that challenges their alienation while at the same time situating themselves within contemporary notions of American Indian identity. He also shows how their creativity is reflected in the communities they build with one another, the development of their own social practices, and a national network of individuals linked in their search for self and social acceptance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Joseph Gilley is an assistant professor of anthropology and the ALANA U.S. Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803271263
• ISBN-13: 978-0803271265
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #882,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Male Eve Sedgwick, October 22, 2006

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Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Becoming Two-Spirit: Gay Identity and Social Acceptance in Indian Country (Paperback)

The only reason why I'm bringing this up first is because he starts the book this way. The text begins with the author saying that he's straight. He noted that many proof-readers and Two-Spirit men themselves were skeptical of that claim, but others said his sexual orientation gives gay studies legitimacy and that he'll be viewed as "objective" unlike what would be supposed of gay researchers. I am surprised that while he goes out of his way to declare his heterosexuality, he never says anything about his whiteness. Like almost all Two-Spirit books, this one was written by a Caucasian person. (Others include Walter Williams, Lester Brown, Sabine Lang, Will Roscoe, and the list goes on.) I don't know why the author feels that his sexual orientation stands out, but his race doesn't. Some Indians, of all sexualities, have said, "Don't send us your anthropologists!" I highly doubt that Two-Spirits thought nothing of his race, but only of his sexual identity. The author really needs to freshen up on books being written about whiteness and white privilege.

The most powerful impression this book left upon me is that Two-Spiritedness concerns action and not just labeling. Previously, I thought any gay person with some Native ancestry could call themselves Two-Spirit. This book, however, talks of how a legitimate Two-Spirit person would learn of their tribe's customs and dedicate themselves to helping others in the tribe. This promotion of communal action will impress Native heterosexuals, I imagine.

This book touches upon many issues that non-Native gay men and lesbians of color face. When the book mentioned that Two Spirits often care for young people that are not their biological children, I thought of something similar stated in the book "One of the Children" about gay, African-American men. When it mentioned Two Spirits that "tone it down" among Native straights, I thought of what J.L. King said in his "Up from the Down Low" about the Black community. In "Global Divas," gay Pilipino men had drag contests and spoke a slang just as these Two Spirit men did.

This book details Native homophobia, for example, when a man said, "That mess doesn't need to be thrown in our faces" and gay white racism, for example, when a gay white man says, "If I hear one more drum!" Still, there was one scene that I thought could be seen not as prejudicially as the author imagines. The author recalls a biological woman who resented a transgendered Native dancing in female competitions. However, in "Paris Is Burning," competitors squabbled over trivial things. Remember when Dorian Corey said, "Did you see that gymnast disqualified from the Olympics because her coach was within a certain distance of her? That's shade!"? This anecdote just could have been Native shade, a person trying to win at all costs.

The author writes "non-gay" rather than "straight", and "non-Indian" rather than "white" (no other people of color are ever mentioned), so one has to read carefully. Though I purchased a new book, my page 11 was smeared, I hope other readers don't get defective copies. The author never mentions any bisexual men, though Two-Spirit author Terry Tafoya once wrote that many Two Spirits are bisexual. The author notes closeted Natives, but never says whether any of these men had wives. Bisexual activists may resent this.

Geographically, most Natives leave west of the MS River, so the focus on Oklahoma and Colorado makes sense. Still, the author teaches at a Northeastern university. It would have been nice to learn about Native, gay men from that region. Any gay Oneidas in New York? Gay Naragansett in Rhode Island? This book never says. Perhaps someone else can write a book covering that topic.