The term “two-spirit” was created in 1990 in Winnipeg at a two-spirit gathering as an umbrella term used by first nations across Turtle Island, many of whom had different gender terms and up to seven gender titles. When it comes to 2S, the concept at that time was that 2S held both the male and female spirit within them, and that correlated with those along the LGBTQI spectrum in those identifying factors.
For me, two-spirits are those who transcend the boundary set by the binary, and the role of two-spirits is to sort of.... It's really difficult because at that gathering in Winnipeg they came up with that term and it's been discussed a lot among indigenous nations and among two-spirit organizations and individuals. Oftentimes there are those who don't feel as if they hold the male and female spirit, or the masculine and feminine spirit, and that just speaks to the different nations and languages and traditions that have been happening among the tribes.
It's hard to really give a definition. For each individual, it's quite different. For me, growing up, I always believed that how I wanted to live is the life that I have now, being able to be a father, to engage in romantic relationships with whomever I chose, and to have the kind of union and family unit I have now in the community surrounding my son. It wasn't something that I had growing up.