lgbtqia | mygaytherapist

Part of my ‘Spiritual Journey’ has been dealing with the word SHAMAN in application to myself. In 2004 I was asked to speak at a weekend conference on BREATHWORK in Milan Italy. I did my slot on Gay Relationships ( the term queer not used then ), in fact I had great problems using the term GAY to a heterosexual Italian crowd, they preferred ‘homosexual’ still believing it was a mental illness – but must push on . . .

The next speaker, topping the bill, was a spanish woman, who I had met at other conferences, seen as quite unbalanced by this conservative crowd, suddenly asking ME without discussion, fuming at my reception, to assist in her Shamanic feather waving ceremony. I was commanded to hold the feathers!

I was a bit shocked and frankly embarrassed, but then she proceeded to totally demolish listeners by stating ( out of the blue ) I WAS A SHAMAN, an URBAN QUEER SHAMEN, someone who had healed himself from addictions and long held chronic disease. THAT SHUT THEM UP.

It has taken me 20 years to accept it finally, that my somatic breathwork work is SHAMANIC. It’s a recent conclusion so I’m putting it out there as fact, as I am late to the party with over 35 years experience in assisting others to heal themselves. I am now over 42 years clean & sober too, and a phrase I picked up over the years in recovery rooms is ” you can’t give away what you haven’t got!”. EXPERIENCE is GOLD – with or without feathers.

A “Queer Two Spirit Shaman” refers to a Native American individual who embodies both masculine and feminine spiritual qualities, often taking on a role as a healer or spiritual leader within their community, and whose gender identity falls outside of the Western binary, historically described using the term “berdache” by Europeans, now considered outdated and often offensive; “Two Spirit” is the preferred term used by Indigenous people to describe this identity.

Key points about this term:

“Two Spirit”:This is the contemporary, respectful term used by Indigenous people to describe individuals who embody both masculine and feminine spirits, often associated with special spiritual roles like shamanism.
“Berdache”:This term, originating from French, was used by European anthropologists to describe Native American people who did not conform to Western gender norms, but is now considered derogatory and should be avoided.
Shamanistic role:Historically, Two Spirit individuals often held significant spiritual positions within their tribes, acting as healers, visionaries, and ceremonial leaders.
Queer identity:“Queer” in this context encompasses the non-heteronormative aspects of a Two Spirit person’s gender identity and sexual orientation.

Having said all that – Coaching, Life Audit and ‘Conscious Connected’ Rebirthing Breathwork that I provide – does NOT include feathers, ceremonies, ‘shrooms, ayahuasca, cacao or any mood altering substance.

As alternative, Somatic Shamanic Breathwork I practice gets you high, ( like coming up on E – I keep hearing ) spiritually connected with safe emotional release of anxiety, depressions and blocked potentials. No Drumwork or talking sticks either. Specialised Practitioners do that so much better than me.

Antony Hegarty, of Antony & the Johnsons is a fan of the book The Spirit and the Flesh. He asked its author, Walter L Williams, to write a feature for guardian.co.uk/music on the ‘two-spirit’ tradition in Native American culture

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/11/two-spirit-people-north-america

Although the term “queer” has been around for a while, the perception and meaning has evolved as of late.

What does “Queer” mean? Why are younger generations reclaiming the word Queer?

What does “Queer” and “Genderqueer” mean?

“Queer” has been adopted as an all-encompassing term for those who do not identify as straight or cisgender, but prefer not to use a more specific term. With regard to gender identity, the term “gender queer” is synonymous to “not cisgender”.

Why is the history of the term “Queer” so significant?

Some feel the term “queer” cannot be its history. The term used to be considered a slur towards gay men or those otherwise “sexually deviant”, stemming from the original definition of “strange”.

Now, “queer” has become a symbol of defiance and empowerment, and more and more, it is becoming a political statement of their own agency. With its many definitions, “queer” evades exclusivity. Once used as a slur to ostracize, the term is now reclaimed to bring together a community of people who identify with it. It can also be used interchangeably with “LGBTQ+”, a term sometimes seen as too wordy to use as an overarching identifier.

Why are younger generations reclaiming Queer?

What does it mean for a slur to be reclaimed?

“Reclamation is a form of socio-political protest that seeks to re-shape oppressive social practices by controlling what can be done with words.” – Popa-Wyatt

With pithy catchphrases on Pride posters like “We’re here, we’re queer”, the word has been reclaimed by many in the LGBTQ+ community, especially youth.

Reclamation should not be seen as disregarding the history of the term, but a way of evolving with our language.

Politics of Queer

“Queer” can be seen a political movement, against its use as a slur and its perception of a stagnant identity. Author José Esteban Muñoz once said,“Queerness is an ideality…we can feel it as the warm illumination of a horizon imbued with potentiality” (Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity). Queerness is a potential and a future, not something that is stagnant.

It can also bring together those of different experiences into not one identity, but instead one community defying heteronormativity. In the book Keywords For Gender and Sexuality Studies, author Chandan Reddy sheds light on political usage of queer. Queer is claimed by “[t]hose who seek more to disturb, shatter, or undermine the heteronormative cultural order than to be included or represented by that culture and order especially claim the term”.

What Queer brings to the community

For many, the term Queer is a resistance to the pressure to conform or categorize to one identity. Some people might think that this sounds counterintuitive: use a term to not use a term? Queer is often used as an umbrella meant to catch those not aligning with the specificity of many commonly used terms. It resists identifying self, and instead identifies community. This reflection of belonging to community reflects the importance of accepting the multi-faceted nature of a word like queer.

Queer has become a symbol of defiance: both an acknowledgement of the community’s history, and a nod to disruption of heteronormativity. But ultimately, it has become a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community’s unity and resilience.

Sources

https://keywords.nyupress.org/gender-and-sexuality-studies/essay/queer/

https://philarchive.org/archive/POPRTB

The New Woman: Literary Modernism, Queer Theory, and the Trans Feminine Allegoryby Emma Heaney

Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity by José Esteban Muñoz