When I first started reading the assignment and the author mentioned that there were cultures that accepted, or even embraced, same sex relationships, I immediately thought of my American Indian Studies class that I took in the fall. Later, when Leslie showed a map and list of places and groups of people that accepted same sex love, I saw some of the Native American tribes and peoples that we covered in the class. Leslie said that it is a highly Western manufactured idea that same-sex marriages/relationships/ect are unacceptable. I've found myself believing the same thing. However, I also believe that it a Christian expanded idea. Some Native Americans worshiped same sex lovers simply because it was still love and love was a sacred feeling. It's sad that we don't really learn about this in school. I took a sociology class, and even there, within our study of cultures, I never learned about non heterosexual cultures. We learned about different sexual orientations and briefly covered the difference between gender and sex, with transgenders a short mention. So, I found it extremely interesting that there were cultures with such early MTF or other transsexual behaviors, especially within their religions.
When mention of mythology and gods/goddesses came up, I remembered back to tenth grade when we learned about Greek and Roman mythology (mostly Greek). When we covered the various gods and their stories, there was no connection made to cross-dressing or how there may have been representations of sex swaps. For example, Athena was just described as being a warrior and dressing more suitably for such. Other gods and goddesses, such as Kainesus and Dionysus, weren't mentioned for being transgender Dionysus was just "womanish" because he was less masculine in that he was the god of wine, harvest, ecstasy, and non-manly traits (where war, death, ruin, and stronger traits would be more suited). Interpretation various with ignorance or exposure. If I had the knowledge that I have now, after taking Mitchell Morris's class and having an honors contract with him, I may have put some pieces together. History is told in such a one-sided and opinionated manner. Whoever has power or forces power controls how history is written and how things are taught in the future. It's written by winners, and unfortunately, anyone other than heterosexual males of power, aren't winners. Therefore, history is told to focus on straight and powerful men. It has no focus on women or anyone "different", such as LGBTQ members of society. I'm amazed at how my professors have found writings on the subject, especially if they're older than 1969, because I simply didn't think that it existed. I've been very ignorant about LGBT history, and even more so about the T. My transgender friends probably would be amazed as well.
Another group of people that I've learned about much differently were the Amazons. My mother was tall, big, and strong when she was young, and as an insult she would get called an Amazon. My mom's understand of that meant "a huge woman who ran around shirtless" and primitively lived to kill people and were violent, unintelligent people. When I learned bits and pieces from other sources, I formed my own idea as a group or tribe of strong, independent, female warriors that, as Leslie thought, embraced their women identity. As far as Greek ideas of Amazons, I would have believed in the right-breast reduction for archery (if right handed) and never thought about some transgender concept. I may have expected both breasts to be removed because they would have been in the way or a burden in combat. Overall, I thought they hated men and wouldn't strive to be like them as part of their belief, but that only shows how much I know (nothing). (On a separate note, I found her mention of women carrying around giant phalluses to be amusing and something I would like to learn more about for the sake of unique knowledge. )
Unfortunately, many of the references that Leslie makes are to myths, stories, and tales, which makes them her arguments more speculative and about what their culture may have believed, rather than what they actually practiced. This doesn't discredit her ideas in my opinion though. It proves that transgender is not a modern idea or practice. It just shows that most records are in the use of stories rather than history, with the exception of the shamans and priestesses.
Overall, the read was interesting and I was reminded of previous learning experiences about the subject, but that were reviewed in entirely different manners. I also realized that Leslie Feinberg's face looked familiar once I googled hir. I'm currently reading Stone Butch Blues, and ze it the author. What an awesome surprise.
You're absolutely right to be tying religion into the colonial oppression of Native cultures (and, of course, any ideas they may have had about gender that differed from Western ones).
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily agree with Feinberg that the presence of a myth (or a god/dess or what have you) indicates a particular real-life attitude toward actual trans people, but it does open up a whole new perspective on what other times and places thought was possible, or at least conceivable.