SOURCE: Price-Hughes, Tara. “Worlds In and Out of Balance: Alternative Genders and Gayness in the Almanac of the Dead and The Beet Queen.” In Literature and Homosexuality, edited by Michael J. Meyer, pp. 1-21. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2000.

In the following essay, Price-Hughes explores the treatment of “two-spirit” women in two contemporary novels—Almanac of the Dead and The Beet Queen—pointing out that Native American tradition offers a much wider spectrum of possible gender roles than traditional Western culture.

In recent years, gay and Native American writers have devoted increasing attention to Native American two-spirit traditions, traditions which allow individuals to express alternative gender inclinations by adopting the work, behavior, and dress of the other sex. From the perspective of many Native cultures, the presence of two-spirit people signifies the health and balance of their societies, for two spirits are thought to harmoniously balance powerful male and female forces...