I just heard a new word today that struck my heart in a sickening way: "Gendercide", "the deliberate effort to destroy traditions of gender fluidity…". That was a quote from an extremely insightful book I'm reading called Reclaiming Two-Spirits, Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty In Native America by Gregory D. Smithers (if you get the chance I highly recommend it).
It struck my heart because I feel it on multiple levels. As native and two-spirit myself I feel great sadness for my ancestors who suffered at the hands of radically conservative colonialism that committed unquestionable genocide and ethnic cleansing of the natives of this continent. The cruelty inflicted upon gender fluid people back then was especially horrific, from being murdered by vicious dogs to being indoctrinated out of existence by religious intolerance. I thought things had changed, but I was wrong. Continue reading...
