Two Spirit Safe Space Alliance

Two Spirit people have existed since time immemorial, but the term has only existed since the 1990s. “Two Spirit” refers to those whose identity and gender expression falls outside colonial definitions of gender and sexuality. Among the many harms of colonization, settler governments forced our ancestors into strict gender roles and suppressed Two Spirit identities through violence. Many Native cultures, and NAYA, uphold and protect Two Spirit and Indigiqueer people as sacred – often taking leading roles as spiritual leaders and medicine people. NAYA maintains all our locations as a safe space for Two Spirit and Indigiqueer people to be themselves and to practice their culture, and gender, as they wish.

Individual Two Spirit people may also consider themselves LGBTQ+, but the terms are not interchangeable. A Two Spirit person is not necessarily LGBTQ+. Similarly, the term “Indigiqueer” has come to represent a specifically Indigenous queer identity and does not necessarily indicate any other LGBTQ+ identity. Sometimes we abbreviate all of these identities together as 2SLGBTQ+.

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To learn about upcoming events and how to register, please fill out this online form and one of our team members will be in touch with you. All inquiries will be treated with complete confidentiality.