R. K. Williamson, the author of the Original Study “The Blessed Curse,” was born an “intersex.” According to Intersex Society of North America, intersex is a term largely used to refer to various conditions of people born with a sexual or reproductive anatomy that doesn’t fit into the category of a male or female. His great-grandmother, a Cherokee woman, exposed her to the Native American view of the two-spirit, or a person who possesses the spirit of both a man and a woman. Native Americans acknowledge that everything that exists in the world has spirits, and for Williamson to have two spirits is a gift (Williamson 410). Her immediate family’s reception of her birth condition, on the other hand, is entirely different as they subscribe to the negative Christian Euramerican point of view. More than her physical characteristics, it is these contradictory views about her sexuality that the author experienced having “two different and conflicting views about himself” (Williamson 140).
It would seem that the experience of Williamson, though a bit tempered by his great-grandmother, is similar to what transgender or two-spirit people are going through. In an article which talks about the birth of identical twins but the other turned out to be a transgender, criticism and bullying was also constant. This is also the same with the hijras or eunuchs of India who are regularly subjected to sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse. Although in some cases the reason behind being transgender is more biological than a choice or a whim, people in general still find it difficult to accept them in the society. This is the reason why transgender youth are more prone to “depression, suicide, substance abuse, HIV, and sexualy transmitted disease” (James).
Looking at the traditional Native American cultures where Williamson’s great-grandmother belong, the child has no control over their gender. Rather, it is the spirit that lies within every one of us which decides the gender of a child. As the child, or person, is left with no choice but to accept the gender bestowed by the spirit, it would be wrong to held them accountable for their gender preferences which they did not have any control of (Williamson 410). There is no spirit superior or inferior to those of others, and as such, condemning someone based on his/her sexual orientation because it is only “a manifestation of the person’s spirit” (Williamson 410). The Native Americans highlight the idea of purpose, which leads people to appreciating and understanding life and what they can contribute to it.
Despite the increase in understanding and accepting transgenders or two-spirited individuals, there are still people and countries all over the world who are stil afflicted by the evil of judging and abusing them. If people would only learn from the traditional Native Americans and accept the fact that everyone is born unique, and as such are bound to fulfill different purposes, everyone will be at peace with themselves and be in harmony with everyone else.
Works Cited
James, Susan Donaldson. “Twin Boys, Transgender, Become Brother and Sister.”
abcnews.com. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
Williamson, R. K. “The Blessed Curse.” Social Identity, Personality, and Gender. Belmont:
Cengage Learning, 2010. 146-185. Googlebooks.com. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
