4.4 2SLGBTQI+ Community

2S represents being Two Spirited

​”Two-Spirit” is a term used within some Indigenous communities, encompassing cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity.  The term reflects complex Indigenous understandings of gender roles, spirituality, and the long history of sexual and gender diversity in Indigenous cultures.  Individual terms and roles for Two-spirited people are specific to each nation. 

Prior to colonization, Two-Spirited people were included and respected as valuable community members, often holding revered roles such as healers, matchmakers, and counsellors, among many others.⁽³⁾

Lesbian

An individual who identifies as a woman and whose physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is primarily to other individuals who identify as women.  Depending where you look at the word Lesbian there are many slight variations of what it is.

This Is What LGBT Life Is Like Around the World | Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols | TED Talks. As a gay couple in San Francisco, Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols had a relatively easy time living the way they wanted. But outside the bubble of the Bay Area, what was life like for people still lacking basic rights? They set off on a world tour in search of “Supergays,” LGBT people who were doing something extraordinary in the world. In 15 countries across Africa, Asia and South America — from India, recently home to the world’s first openly gay prince, to Argentina, the first country in Latin America to grant marriage equality — they found the inspiring stories and the courageous, resilient and proud Supergays they had been looking for. ⁽⁶⁾

Gay

An individual who identifies as a man and whose physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is primarily to other individuals who identify as men. Some women use gay to describe their same-sex attraction.

Is My Child Too Young To Learn About Being Gay? | Tim Ramsey | TEDxOxford.   Can a child be too young to learn about being LGBT? The answer: no child is ever too young. In this humorous and moving talk, Tim Ramsey argues that only when every parent explores about LGBT identities with their child from birth will we address the well being crisis facing LGBT young people. Tim Ramsey, the founder of award-winning non-profit Just Like Us, grew up believing that being gay was the worst thing he could be. Having come out, Tim launched Just Like Us to change the lives of other LGBT+ school students by empowering young people to challenge prejudice and champion LGBT+ equality at school and work. As the founder of School Diversity Week, the national celebration of LGBT+ equality in education, Tim has involved over 650,000 school students and teachers work to ensure every young person can be themselves and their best at school⁽⁷⁾.

Trans

Sometimes known as transgender. An umbrella concept that refers to any individual whose gender identity or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. This concept includes, but is not limited to, individuals who have made bodily changes using surgical, medical or other means, or who plan to make bodily changes to align their sex characteristics with their gender identity; individuals whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth but who have no wish to change their physiology; people who identify as having multiple genders or as not having a gender; individuals whose gender identity changes from time to time; or people with any other gender identity that is not in line with socially accepted norms of expected behaviours based on gender. Gender identity is different from sexual orientation, and a trans individual may be heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual. ⁽⁸⁾

I’ve lived as a man & a woman — here’s what I learned | Paula Stone Williams | TEDxMileHigh. If you’re a man, at one point or another you’ve probably thought to yourself, “I will never understand women!” And if you’re a woman, “what’s wrong with men?!” But your gender is all you’ve ever known, so how could you understand? As a transgender woman, Paula Stone Williams has lived on both sides, “and the differences are massive!” In this funny and insightful talk, Paula shares her wisdom for all. Reverend Dr. Paula Stone Williams is the president of RLT Pathways, Inc., a non-profit providing counseling and coaching services. She works with the Center for Progressive Renewal, serves on the board of the Gay Christian Network, and is an active member at Highlands Church in Denver. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Denver Post, and Colorado Public Radio, and is a blogger for The Huffington Post. She is an avid runner and mountain biker with three children and five granddaughters. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community⁽⁸⁾.

A Lifesaving Shift in the Transgender Conversation | Ashton Colby | TEDxColumbus, What are you supposed to do when you are forced to adopt a narrative about your experience that doesn’t tell the whole story? Transgender people have to be diagnosed with “gender dysphoria” in order to gain access to medically transitioning through surgery and hormones. And transgender people are often only offered media narratives of transgender people “feeling trapped in the wrong body”. Now more than ever, there is a vital need for more expansive transgender narratives that go beyond focusing on just the physical aspects of gender transition. Ashton Colby is a social entrepreneur, certified yoga teacher⁽⁹⁾.

Queer

Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender. Originally meaning ‘strange’ or ‘peculiar’, queer came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century.  Historically it was considered a derogatory term, used to insult those who who identified as LGBT+ or who were perceived to be.

Although it can still be considered a negative or a slur by some, still used as a slur by some, the term has been reclaimed by some members of LGBT+ communities, particularly youth. It can be used as a symbol of pride and affirmation of difference and diversity or as a means of challenging rigid identity categories.

Tyler Ford Explains The History Behind the Word “Queer” | InQueery | By Them.  How much do you really know about the history of the word Queer? Find out on this episode of InQueery, hosted by Tyler Ford. In partnership with Google.⁽¹⁰⁾

 

How Black Queer Culture Shaped History | Channing Gerard Joseph | TED. Names like Bayard Rustin, Frances Thompson and William Dorsey Swann have been largely erased from US history, but they and other Black queer leaders played central roles in monumental movements like emancipation, civil rights and LGBTQ+ pride, among others. In this tribute to forgotten icons, queer culture historian and TED Fellow Channing Gerard Joseph shares their little-known stories, connecting the origins of drag in the 1880s to the present day and exploring the awesome power to choose how we define ourselves.⁽¹¹⁾

Transcript

Intersex

How do we reduce the stigma associated with the words we use when it comes to substance use dIntersex

A person who was born with reproductive systems, chromosomes and/or hormones that are not easily characterized as male or female.  A general term used to describe a variety of conditions in which a person is born with external genitalia, gonads, chromosomes and/or hormones that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the expected male and female types. Intersex characteristics occur in one out of every 1,500 births.  Intersex children are usually assigned one sex, male or female at birth.  Some identity with their assigned sex, whereas others do not.  Intersex typically do not identify as transgender or transsexual.

What it means to be intersex | Susannah Temko. By Ted Talks.⁽¹²⁾

I spent a day with INTERSEX PEOPLE. BY AnthonyPadilla. Anthony spent a day with intersex people to learn the truth about being intersex and the misinformation surrounding this group.⁽¹³⁾