Two-spirit

Paul's grasp of the [Holy] Spirit as the sign of the erupting messianic age is at odds with the two-spirit thought of Qumran which never became incompatible with law observance.

The Lakota, by the way, called their Two-Spirits winkte and wapetokeca which means "people with special powers."

"The elders will tell you the difference between a gay Indian and a Two-Spirit," he [Joey Criddle] said, underscoring the idea that simply being gay and Indian does not make someone a Two-Spirit.

The term/identity of two-spirit does not make sense unless it is contextualized within a Native American frame […] Today, most people associate the term with LGBT Natives; however, the work of the two-spirit organizations is more akin with the traditional understanding

A Hupa two-spirit male told me: / I was real feminine as a child, from as early as I can remember. […] Within the family, Indians believe you can be whatever you choose.

[I]t should come as no surprise that many Native American gay, lesbian, transgender, and other two-spirit people consider the term "berdache" derogatory.

In Canada there are now aboriginal (as we are termed in Canadian English) AIDS projects in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, due almost entirely to the efforts of two-spirit (gay/lesbian) people.

Instead of seeing two-spirit persons as transsexuals who try to make themselves into "the opposite sex", it is more accurate to understand them as individuals who take on a gender status that is different from both men and women. […] Two-spirit people were respected by native societies not only due to religious attitudes, but also because of practical concerns. […] Two-spirit persons assisted their siblings' children and took care of elderly relatives, and often served as adoptive parents for homeless children.