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Kinktionary

More like guidelines and a lot less like definitions.

Two-Spirit

Two-Spirit, 2-Spirit or 2S, is a term used within some Indigenous communities that encompasses cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity.

Two spirit usually refers to a person who has both a masculine and a feminine spirit. When displayed on a FetLife profile this is abbreviated to TwoS.

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-Spirit people are specific to each nation. However, not all Indigenous people who hold diverse sexual and gender identities consider themselves Two-Spirit, many identify themselves as LGBTQ+.

Often interchanged with the "Third Gender" roles traditionally present in many other societies.

Due to its cultural, spiritual, and historical context, the Two-Spirit identity should only be used by Indigenous people. Appropriate alternatives for a non-indigenous person who identifies as multiple genders are bigender, pangender, and polygender.

History

The word "Two-Spirit" was created in the early 1990s by a group of Two-Spirit community members and leaders.


References

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