GUEST SPEAKER - Rae Madge Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are binary/colonial gender norms?
- Womenhood/feminity (think pink ball in a box)
- Manhood/masculinity (think blue ball in a box)
What is heteronormativity?
Sex assignment:
“It’s a girl” or “it’s a boy”
Gender identity:
“Man” or “woman”
Gender expression:
“Masculine” or “feminine”
Sexuality:
“With women” or “with men”
Relationships:
“Marriage w/ one woman” or “marriage with one man”
What are “progressive” gender norms?
Womanhood/femininity —>(think ombré swatch of two paint colours merging together)—> manhood/masculinity
What are expansive gender norms?
Femininity, Masculinity, Womanhood, Manhood, and
everything Between and Beyond…
Think colour pinwheel with all the colours and they’re all ombré together
What are three roles of gender diverse folk?
-
C h a n g e - m a k e r s ,
s o m e o n e w h o s e e s
t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t l y
a n d m o v e s t h e
c o m m u n i t y f o r w a r d -
S k i l l e d G a p - F i l l e r s .
M e d i a t i o n , p e a c e -
m a k i n g , l e a d e r s h i p
m i d w i f e r y , m e d i c i n e ,
c e r e m o n y , w a r r i o r s - G e n d e r n o t j u s t
a b o u t w h o y o u
a r e b u t h o w
y o u s u p p o r t t h e
c o m m u n i t y
What is colonization?
The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area
On ongoing process, not just a historical event, that continues to displace, disregard, and oppress indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing
What are some impacts of colonization?
- Colonists saw the peoples here through an European, patriarchal, Christian lens
- Thought that the gender and sexual diversity they saw was sinful and wrong
- “Berdache”
- Thought it was their duty to change the indigenous peoples ways of being
Heteronormativity (gender binary) was introduced and reinforced in “__________ _________” through violent means
Residencial schools
It’s important to note…
Homophobia and transphobia were “____” a part of Indigenous culture on Turtle Island before this; these ideas were brought over from Europe by the “_________”
Not
Colonizers
homophobia and transphobia are COLONIAL PARADIGMS
What are 3 ongoing effects of colonization on indigenous gender diversity?
- G e n e r a t i o n s o f
T w o - S p i r i t a n d
I n d i g i q u e e r f o l k s
a f f e c t e d b y
i n t e r s e c t i n g
l a y e r s o f
d i s c r i m i n a t i o n
a n d s t i g m a - T o p r o t e c t T w o -
S p i r i t f o l k s f r o m
t a r g e t e d v i o l e n c e ,
m a n y c o m m u n i t i e s
h i d 2 S f o l k s a n d
s t o p p e d p a s s i n g
o n T w o - S p i r i t
t e a c h i n g s -
I n t e r n a l i z e d
h o m o p h o b i a
a n d t r a n s p h o b i a
p e r s i s t s w i t h i n
t h e I n d i g e n o u s
c o m m u n i t y
What are some experiences and struggles of two-spirt people?
Devastating levels of poverty
Report feeling unsafe in the healthcare system
High frequency of being forced out of
communities/homes/families because of their
sexual or gender identity
High rates of depression, anxiety, substance use
Barriers in access to culturally safe services
What are some experiences and struggles of two-spirit youth in schools?
Two-Spirit students feel unsafe while attending schools
Lack of safety leads students to miss classes
Frequent experiences of:
Homophobia
Bullying
Harassment (sexual, verbal, and physical)
Exclusion and rejection
Discrimination
Destruction of property
More likely than their heterosexual peers to:
Report depression and anxiety issues.
Attempt suicide.
Be kicked out of home or run away.
Drop out of school.
Abuse drugs and alcohol.
To engage in risky sexual activities
These outcomes and risk factors are “____” due to being Indigiqueer, but rather what?
Not
Society’s unacceptance, homophobia, transphobia, and ongoing effects of colonization
These issues can be significantly lessened through what?
Explicit, ongoing affirmation, support, and celebration of Indigenous gender and sexual diversity
What does “Pakosȇyimowin” mean?
“Pro-spective”
Let us embody a Two-Spirit, visionary, hope-filled
ideology
One that looks towards a resurgent Two-Spirit revolution
What does “niizh-manidoowag” mean?
Means “two-spirit”
Became a word that recognizes the unique and social positioning that being indigenous and queer affords a person
Two-spirit is healing
Two-spirit is decolonial
Two-spirit is liberation
accepting and celebrating two-spirit people is reconciliation
What does it mean to be two-spirit?
An umbrella term that refers to all LGBTQIA+ First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
Used to describe a person who has both masculine and feminine spirits w/in them
A ceremonial or community role rooted in nation-specific roles and responsibilities
True or false. The two-spirit term is unique to Indigenous peoples
True
*YOU CANNOT** be two-spirit w/out being indigenous
True or false. All people who are indigenous and queer identify with the term “two-spirit”
False
Someone MAY NOT identify w/ the name “two-spirit”
= this is valid and okay!
What is “coming out” vs “coming in”?
For many Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ folks, the experiences of being and becoming happy and authentically themselves includes something that can be described as “coming in” instead of “coming out”
Coming out:
- separation from ideologies of origin
- independence from familial culture
- distancing from origin story
Coming in:
- return to indigenous peoples
- interdependence/collective identity
- reconnection to roots
- seeing your authenticity as your greatest gift to yourself and your community
What are some ways to support, celebrate and affirm two-spirit and indigiqueer folks?
- Don’t make assumptions about peoples gender or sexual identities
- Use indigiqueer (and everyones) pronouns and correct names
- relates to sovereignty and reconsiliation (for indigenous people) - Use *inclusive and gender-neutral language
- Know who’s traditional lands you’re on
- Promote culturally relevant mental health and crisis resources for 2SLGBTQ+ indigenous youth and adults
- Provide resources for two-spirit and indigiqueer colleagues and clients to connect to their culture
- Share announcements about gatherings etc…. And other two-spirit etc. special events
- Put “2S” at the beginning of the acronym instead of just LGBTQ+ or LGBTQ2S+
- Challenge homophobia and transphobia
- Continuously work towards de-colonizing your ideologies, practices and biases
- Tell your indigiqueer friends etc.. that their gender/sexual identity is sacred and they are loved for being who they are
What happens when we support and celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ folks?
You support decolonizing efforts through resurgence of traditionally grounded ways of percieving sexuality
Our communities flourish
