two-spirit people

Native American people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or intersex are called two-spirit people, a term that, since the early 1990s, has replaced the anachronistic "Berdaches," which has been explicitly rejected by the relevant Native American community. Clara Sue Kidwell (in Sisterhood Is Powerful) explains, "Individuals who crossed gender lines were recognized in many tribes. Their behavior was generally associated with visions that conveyed special spiritual powers. The Lakota winkte has this meaning. Some Aboriginal people also self-identify as two-spirited. Historically, in many Aboriginal cultures, two-spirited individuals were respected leaders and medicine people, often accorded special status based upon their unique abilities to understand both male and female perspectives."