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In modern society, many times LGBT people are considered less (like when they are treated as second class citizens). In the old Native tradition, Two Spirits were considered more than the rest of their society because they were blessed with both a female and a male soul. Being Two Spirit once meant being honored; to have a Two Spirit member in a family meant prestige and power. Time and the influence of other cultures (starting with the Europeans arriving in the Americas hundreds of years ago) changed this immensely. Today,
by re-visiting the term Two Spirit, LGBT Native Americans are fighting to regain what they lost, the place they had before. It gives them a sense of their tribes, people, culture, and it provides them with a sense of family in today's society; a society that is still not accepting enough. As American Indians they constantly have to justify themselves to other people; as gay people they also have to justify themselves to others. However, as Two Spirits they can connect to each other and revisit their history and traditions.
Gay American Indians marching at a Pride Rally