Bíawacheeitchish
Two-spirited Gros Ventres leader of the 1800s
Two-spirited Gros Ventres leader of the 1800s
Cahun’s artistic work, diverse personae, and unusual personal life have made Cahun a figure of inspiration and interest for many later artists. The gender-shifting self-presentation, and non-heterosexual relationship make Cahun important to homosexual activists and Feminism-lovers alike. Furthermore, Cahun’s use of photography in self-portraiture sees the beginnings of an important emerging tradition among non-male artists.
A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements. Throughout her life, she fought against the exclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, from the larger movement for gay rights.
Pauli Murray was breaking barriers from a young age. Held back by what Murray dubbed “Jane Crow,” s/he* was a staunch advocate for the rights of women and people of color and fought tirelessly for civil rights. As a poet, writer, activist, organizer, legal theorist, and priest, Murray was directly involved in, and helped articulate, the intellectual foundations of two of the most important social justice movements of the twentieth century.
We’wha, a Lhamana (Zuni Two Spirit) individual, took on both male and female tasks as a Zuni cultural ambassador and pottery and textile artist. Also a spiritual leader, We’wha endeavored to preserve the history, traditions, and knowledge of the Zuni people.
Zoë Tiberius Quinn is an American video game developer, programmer, and writer who developed the game Depression Quest, released in 2013. I
Mae Martin is a comedian, actor and writer who identies as gender fliud, alternating between she and they pronouns. Martin wrote and starred in the 2020 semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy Feel Good and has won two Canadian Comedy Awards as part of comedy troupe “The Young and the Useless”. She also presents Mae Martin’s Guide to 21st Century Sexuality on BBC Radio 4 and published her first non-fiction book, Can Everyone Please Calm Down?: A Guide to 21st Century Sexuality in 2019.