Hot Topic

The gay-marriage threads on Althouse have over 350 and 290 comments, respectively.

I don't have time to read ALL the comments, but one thing that has struck me is how many people insist that there is no precedent anywhere in history for gay marriage. That is just not true. There were accepted, valued, transgendered roles and gay marriages in many Native American societies.

Alternative gender roles were among the most widely shared features of North American societies. Male berdaches have been documented in over 155 tribes. In about a third of these groups, a formal status also existed for females who undertook a man’s lifestyle, becoming hunters, warriors, and chiefs. They were sometimes referred to with the same term for male berdaches and sometimes with a distinct term—making them, therefore, a fourth gender. (Thus, “third gender” generally refers to male berdaches and sometimes male and female berdaches, while “fourth gender” always refers to female berdaches.) Each tribe, of course, had its own terms for these roles, such as boté in Crow, nádleehí in Navajo, winkte in Lakota, and alyha: and hwame: in Mohave. Because so many North American cultures were disrupted (or had disappeared) before they were studied by anthropologists, it is not possible to state the absolute frequency of these roles. Those alternative gender roles that have been documented, however, occur in every region of the continent, in every kind of society, and among speakers of every major language group. The number of tribes in which the existence of such roles have been denied (by informants or outsider observers) are quite few. [ . . . ]

Although there are important variations in berdache roles [ . . . ] they share a core set of traits that justifies comparing them:

• Specialized work roles. Male and female berdaches are typically described in terms of their preference and achievements in the work of the “opposite” sex and/or unique activities specific to their identities;
• Gender difference. In addition to work preferences, berdaches are distinguished from men and women in terms of temperament, dress, lifestyle, and social roles;
• Spiritual sanction. Berdache identity is widely believed to be the result of supernatural intervention in the form of visions or dreams, and/or it is sanctioned by tribal mythology;
• Same-sex relations. Berdaches most often form sexual and emotional relationships with non-berdache members of their own sex. [ . . . ]

Before the arrival of Europeans, marriages between berdaches and non-berdache members of the same sex were commonplace, and individuals sometimes changed their gender because of a dream.

From another source:

Since the berdache could mix characteristics of both genders, they were viewed as having a special status as if "blessed" by the gods. They were thought to be the "middle gender," and seen as prophets and visionaries having an almost mystic and psychic vision into the future. They were often consulted by tribal elders and chieftains because they were thought to have a kind of "universal knowledge" and special connection to the "great spirit."

That's interesting considering that most (not all) of the male psychics I've personally encountered have been gay.

From Wikipedia:

These individuals are often viewed as having two spirits occupying one body. Their dress is usually a mixture of traditionally male and traditionally female articles. They have distinct gender and social roles in their tribes. For instance, among the Lakota there was one ceremony during the Sun Dance that was performed only by a two-spirited person of that tribe. (See winkte) Two-spirited individuals perform specific social functions in their communities. In some tribes male-bodied two-spirits were active as healers or medicine persons, gravediggers, undertakers, handling and burying of the deceased, conducted mourning rites, conveyers of oral traditions and songs, nurses during war expeditions, foretold the future, conferred lucky names on children or adults, wove, made pottery, made beadwork and quillwork, arranged marriages, made feather regalia for dances, special skills in games of chance, led scalp-dances, and fulfilled special functions in connection with the setting up of the central post for the Sun Dance. In some tribes female-bodied two-spirits typically took on roles such as chief, council, trader, hunter, trapper, fisher, warfare, raider, guides, peace missions, vision quests, prophets, and medicine persons.

The Wikipedia article goes on to list the names for male-bodied and female-bodied two-spirits in scores of languages.

Here's a detailed account of some berdache individuals in the Zuni tribe and white missionaries', medics', and anthropologists' uncomprehending reaction to them. This observation is particularly fabulous:

In 1900, Sumner Matteson photographed an Acoma berdache and noted, "He is far more particular of dress than the women."

Here too, gay marriage was not unusual:

[T]hey formed sexual and emotional relationships with non-berdache men, often long term in nature. One of the lhamanas Stevenson knew, for example, was among "the richest men of the village" when he "allied himself" to another man. "They were two of the hardest workers in the pueblo and among the most prosperous." Parsons also described marriages between berdache and non-berdache men.

This makes us look rather crude and unenlightened, if you ask me. Of course, some will be quick to point out that Native American societies did not go forth and conquer the world. . . .

UPDATE:
For anyone who becomes utterly fascinated by this topic, and it is fascinating, here's quite an extensive review of the literature.

Comments

[Melinda]

In the movie "Little Big Man" (don't remember if I read the book) the Cheyenne tribe that takes Jack in has this boy who would rather hang out with the mothers and--I don't know, grind maize--than learn to hunt with the boys.

When grown-up Jack returns from being with the white people, the little boy has grown into a full-fledged drag queen, and the tribe is comfortable with this. In fact, the man/woman has his own special place in the tribe.

Granted, this movie came out in the early 70's, when it was hip--and necessary--to question the people in charge of our country. So the whole thing has this sort of overtone of "White Man Bad, Native American Natural and Close to the Earth." Which always kinda smacked of "Noble Savage" to me.

Still, I remember a midtown Manhattan movie audience laughing when the man/woman tells the newly-single Jack, "You can come to my tent and I'll be your wife."

[amba]

I did question whether all the info on the web was from the gay movement and therefore sort of idealized and glorified. Even if you take that spin off it, it seems to be genuinely anthropological.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Don't worry, I'm sure they've got some explanation of why this doesn't matter. Just like the continuing notion that polygamy is unnatural and no polygamous society has been successful.

(Follow the link on my name, some of my YARGB colleges tried to pass this one off.)

[geoduck2]

Oh yes, the berdache is really interesting! Thanks for bringing up the historical precedent!

[amba]

I actually first read about them way back in the early '60s and was fascinated then.

[Michelle Bence]

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