LGBTQ2 - Have You Seen the "2" and Do You Know What it Means?

Language evolves, and so does the acronym representing the Queer community.

One of the latest shifts has been to include the numeral 2, taking us from LGBTQ to LGBTQ2. The number 2 stands for Two-Spirit, to embrace and include indigenous Queer people.

Watch this InQueery video, What Does "Two-Spirit" Mean?, for a great six-minute explanation by Geo Neptune:

"In recent years, many native people are returning to the Two-Spirit traditions as a way to heal from the injustices the American colonial project has vitited upon their ancestors and traditions...

Two-Spirit identity is resilient and precious. It has survived centuries of colonial violence and prejudice. These sacred ways of knowing live on amongst native youth seeking to know more about themselves, elders who have kept the traditions alive despite the odds, and anyone in between." - Geo Neptune.

As Geo explains further in this article about them in Maine the Magazine,

A two-spirit, Neptune says, is “both male and female, yet neither female nor male.”

I'm really glad to have learned this, and happy to share.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee