Two Spirit People

Two Spirit People is the first-ever look at social science research exploration into the lives of American Indian lesbian women and gay men. Editor Lester B. Brown posits six gender styles in traditional American Indian culture: men and women, not-men and not-women (persons of one biological sex assuming the identity of the opposite sex in some form), and gays and lesbians. He brings together chapters that emphasize American Indian spirituality, present new perspectives, and provide readers with a beginning understanding of the place of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Indians within American Indian culture and within American society. This beginning will help you understand these unique people and the special challenges and multiple prejudices they face.

Contents
Foreword

• Preface: Sharing the Gift of Sacred Being
• Introduction
• Section I. Identity
• Women and Men, Not-Men and Not-Women, Lesbians and Gays: American Indian Gender Style Alternatives
• Gender Selection in Two American Indian Tribes
• American Indian Lesbians and Gays: An Exploratory Study
• Section II. Social Services
• Urban Lesbian and Gay American Indian Identity: Implications for Mental Health Service Delivery
• That's What They Say: The Implications of American Indian Gay and Lesbian Literature for Social Service Workers
• Section III. AIDS and American Indians
• Developing AIDS Services for Native Americans: Rural and Urban Contrasts
• AIDS Prevention in a Rural American Indian Population: A Collaborative Effort Between Community and Providers
• Index
• Reference Notes Included