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Dating from pre-Colombian times, native people in parts of Mexico recognized a third sex, men who believed they were women, and accorded them an accepted place in society. Despite the efforts and attitudes of their Catholic conquerors, pockets of this acceptance still survive.
An article in the Sunday New York Times "Week In Review" section, dated tomorrow:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/weekinreview/07lacey.html
Do be sure to click on the link embedded in the small-font caption on the picture, "more photos", which will bring you to a slide show of 15 images with captions.
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People Like Us Were Held In High Regard
Native American tribes held people like us in very high regard. We were afforded Shaman status among some tribes because we were considered twin spirited. When the Europeans came to the new world it all went to Hell in a handbasket in a whole host of ways.
Hugs,
Jen
A phrase...
cropped up a few times in that, "it was God who sent him" or "God sent him like that." Well duh, it sounds so simple when you put it like that. And yet elsewhere it's notable how people like to invoke God in saying how it's wrong. I've always said, people will accept, or reject, who you are based on who they are. God just gives them the excuse, either way.
In Southern Iraq
I do not know what they are called, but in Southern Iraq, both girls and boys can choose to live as the opposite gender. From what I know, it is a one time switch and within the community, they are completely accepted. I have no idea if they get surgery or any of that.
Gwen
Thank you, Pippa.
I found this really interesting, Pippa.
Most of us have heard how the 'more primitive' tribal type cultures regard persons who are gender gifted or gender fluid as special. It very much seems like they had a less involved, but an innately more useful understanding of the variations between sexuality and gender. We lost some things when we took the next steps to develop our more modern evolutions in culture, science, and religion.
The less informed, and less involved, and perhaps more mystical musings of the world, occasionally lead folks sitting around the fires to realize that sometimes people are 'just born that way,' without needing to know all the reasons why they were different. Or worse, to condemn them.
Today, there are so many wonderful advances that teach us so much about ourselves. We find that there are distinct differences in the brains of glbtg people, which for me ended all doubt and questions as to how and why, or more sadly of morality. It seems, however, that we probably forgot the first more humane step that we had already taken in so many places with so much less advantage than we have now. The 'why' is so much less important than the persons we actually are.
Thank you, Pippa. I know so little about this, and I learn so much when people think to share these little gems here.
Even the dresses were pretty!
Sarah Lynn
Muxe
I saw this in the paper today and found it fascinating that centuries of Catholicism have not wiped-out or demonized this. I even like the sound of the word: MOO-shay.
Jamie