Pride in Indian Country

 Shiyo, all! And Happy Pride Month! As I do each year, I will be posting materials on the month across Gadugi’s Facebook and Instagram pages as well as on our blog. Also as usual, sadly, I expect to receive pushback from folks who are normally supportive of the work but who want me to “stick to Indian issues.” It’s an amazing sentiment—as if there are not American Indians who also live and love within the LGBTQ+ communities. We call this overlap “intersectionality,” a once-obscure legal concept (like Critical Race Theory) developed by Black Feminist scholar Kimberle Crenshaw. Also like CRT, the theory of intersectionality has come under fire recently—when the state of Florida banned AP African American Studies, the state Board of Education took particular umbrage with and demanded the removal of selections from Dr. Crenshaw—along with bell hooks, Angela Davis, and others. So, the “stick to Indian issues” mantra is just one more form of erasure—a broken society telling our community “you can be Indian, you can be gay, but you can’t be both.” This does incredible damage to our LGBTQ+ relatives. 

 Although dependable numbers are difficult to come by, the most recent available statistics show that there are around 285,000 American Indian/Alaska Native adults who identify as LGBTQ+, or approximately 6% of all adult AIANs. A number of Indian communities have taken steps to protect and support this community through health and wellness programs, and you can find some powerful examples here. The assistance is deeply necessary, with many Indigenous LGBTQ+ reporting high rates of harassment, threats and violence. 35% of LGBTQ+ AIAN have been diagnosed with depression, and a heart-wrenching 56% of AIAN transgender youth report having attempted suicide. There are a number of resources available at the Indian Health Service site. There are also great resources here and here. Feel free to use these and, of course, to pass them along to anyone who may find them helpful. 

 

Native American LGBTQ+ people exist and deserve respect and love. Sadly, not all in Indian Country recognize or agree with this stance. Colonialism is a powerful thing that often pits us against our own cultures and traditions. This Pride Month, let’s fight colonialism, and simply do the right thing—by letting our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters know that we love them, we are here for them, and we will fight for them. Happy Pride Month!