Honoring our Relations: Building Awareness of Indigiqueer and Two-Spirit Experiences
In the beginning, Turtle Island was queer. Put another way, gender and sexuality were not understood in binary, “either/or” terms before the arrival of Europeans.
What is Two-Spirit? Part One: Origins (2025, July 22)
Indigiqueer is a term that emerged from the intersection of Indigenous and queer identities, used by some Indigenous people to describe their gender and/or sexual identities in ways that are rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, traditions, and worldviews, rather than Western LGBTQ+ constructs.
Two-Spirit is a culturally specific identity that reflects diverse understandings of gender and sexuality within Indigenous communities. The term itself does not originate from any Indigenous language, nor does it have a direct equivalent in the expressions traditionally used within those languages.
The Native American House and the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center at Illinois invite you to join us for programs and activities that highlight how Indigenous knowledge systems have long embraced expansive understandings of gender and sexuality, while celebrating the enduring presence of Indigiqueer and Two-Spirit communities.
This event is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request, please contact nah@illinois.edu.
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