Experiences of Two-Spirit Lesbian and Gay Native Americans: An Argument for Standpoint Theory in Identity Research

Abstract

Reviewing the literature by and about 2-spirit lesbian and gay Native Americans from the perspective of standpoint theory, we detail 5 differences in their social locations as compared to those of Euro-American lesbians and gays that may contribute to differences in identity experiences and knowledge. We explore these through a modified form of grounded theory analysis of the identity experiences of 6 self-identified 2-spirit lesbian or gay Native Americans, recounted during in-depth interviews. We present the resulting 5 themes with quotes from participants for clarification and support, along with a discussion of their contribution to the development of a detailed knowledge regarding the experiences of members of this population. In addition, we present our findings as empirical support for the incorporation of standpoint theory, with its potential to focus on such identity interconnections within identity research as a whole.