UF’s Multicultural and Diversity Affairs is working to demystify the Native American Two Spirit culture.
MCDA hosted a documentary viewing of “Two Spirits” for MCDA Monday, an educational program once a month that discusses different cultural perspectives.
The documentary highlights the experiences of the Native American tribe members who embody two genders, said Diana Moreno, the assistant director of MCDA.
Gay is not an interchangeable term with Two Spirit, because Two Spirit is not about attraction, she said. The term also cannot be used for someone who is not a member of a Native American tribe. In many tribes, Two Spirits keep balance between the male and female roles.
Moreno said she intentionally planned the showing right after Thanksgiving.
“We wanted our students to be aware of how the holiday represents different things to different people, specifically to Native American people,” Moreno said.
Moreno said she plans to have an event centered around the Native American experience every coming November to expand educational perspectives and integrate Native American culture into MCDA’s program.
Billy Huff, the director of LGBTQ Affairs, who selected the event’s documentary, said it’s important to draw attention to Two Spirit people.
“There are a lot of myths out there about Two Spirit people, if people even know what that is,” Huff said. “I think that’s an area of education and LGBTQ concerns that is not often talked about or covered.”
Brandon Grandison, a UF mathematics freshman and front desk clerk at LGBTQ Affairs, had never seen “Two Spirit” or met someone who identifies as one. Grandison said it was an interesting topic to explore.
“Something like being Two Spirited is mystified,” the 17-year-old. “It’s very difficult to learn about it and even more difficult to talk to someone who identifies as Two Spirit.”
