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It can be pretty easy to get stuck in the rut of assuming there's one way of approaching an issue. In the feminist movement, for example, this has led to many women of color and women from developing countries stopping to say, "hey, this movement doesn't represent my voice or my experiences!" (Check out this great book if you want to read more). The same goes for the LGBT movement, where people of color have had to make sure their voices and perspectives aren't neglected. For beginners, terms like being "male" or "female," or even "transmen" or "transwomen" aren't universal identifiers. One recently released PBS documentary is one that does a great job presenting the story of Fred Martinez--watch the trailer above for a sneak peak!--who was nádleehí, a "male-bodied person with a feminine nature, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture." Many people now have taken this label and identify themselves as "two-spirited," per the Navajo heritage that believes there's at least four genders: male, female, male with a feminine essence, and female with a masculine essence. You can read more from the official PBS website here, or from this short clip from the documentary:
I am glad this documentary is out there to share a different perspective, as well as a very powerful story of this two-spirited Navajo. And I haven't seen the full documentary yet myself, but am really looking forward to checking it out and learning from it!
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