VPL Picks: Indigenous Queer and Two-Spirit Literature

Queer: 'Queer’ can be used to refer to the spectrum of non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender people and provides convenient shorthand for ‘LGBTQ2S+' (QMUNITY) Two-Spirit (2-Spirit): A term used by many Indigenous communities on Turtle Island (typically known as Canada & the United States) to describe people with diverse gender identities, gender expressions, gender roles, and sexual orientations. Two-Spirit people have been and are viewed differently across Indigenous nations. Two-Spirit people were included and respected in most Indigenous communities, sometimes considered sacred and highly-revered. They often took on important roles as healers, mediators, and warriors. Not all people who are Indigenous and gender/sexually diverse will name themselves as Two-Spirit and this is their self-determination. Two-Spirit is something embodied exclusively by Indigenous people and is not to be taken on by non-Indigenous people (QMUNITY) Get started with these titles carefully selected by the reading specialists at Vancouver Public Library. If you would like a personalized reading list, please use the Books Just For You service at https://www.vpl.ca/readnext.