Two Spirit People

The T in the acronym GLBTQ stands not only for the Transgender community but also for the Two Spirit community. It is a name chosen by today's North American aboriginal cultures. They believe that most people have One Spirit in them -- male or female. But some people have a Two Spirit nature -- both male and female -- which expresses itself in various ways. The single term Two Spirit includes all gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender experience.

There is a long tradition of Two Spirit people in many aboriginal cultures. Often, Two Spirit people were both respected and feared by their tribes. Their ability to incorporate both genders made them powerful and mysterious. Some women took a hunter/warrior role and married women. Some men dressed as women and became skilled in cooking, weaving, singing and pottery. Others became nurses, healers or shamans.

Their situation changed for the worse when Christianity gained power in aboriginal communities. Two Spirit people were soon called "berdaches" (male prostitutes) and actively discouraged by the missionaries. Two Spirit people became burdened with the Christian legacy of hate and shame.

But like all GLBTQ people, the Two Spirit community is today healing itself and taking back its power. Two Spirit people have discarded hateful labels and renamed themselves. They have repudiated hateful teachings and rediscovered their own cultural truths.

Music and me

I love music; most people who know me know this. I play music most of the day, and dance wildly when alone at home to my favourite beats (or when I have had one too many champers!).

There is something inside of me always looking for the next big artist to rock my world, always looking for that new edgy person that will make me feel something. But why? How can some random person who I have never met shape the way the world feels for me?

Some of my earliest memories are of watching Rage with my siblings, long car trips on country roads made special by what was playing on the radio. I hear a song and I am taken back to that time and place. Music has a way of transporting a person years back. Smells, sights and feelings come up in us when we hear these tunes.

I recently read a great blog from an interesting man Benson Saulo. In his blog he asked where have all the inspirational songs had gone? http://bensonsaulo.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/music-minded-wheres-the-heart/#respond

This got me thinking. Where are those soul stirring lyrics that made us feel something? The 80’s was full of them in Australia, there was a certain pride and power about them. Have things changed now?

In a world where almost anyone can be a popstar, songs are manufactured like plastic bags. X-factor, Idol and Australia’s Got no talent, have mass produced “artists”. Never mind if they haven’t written a song before in their life, they look good and people will buy their music even if it sucks.

I started thinking and put a little list together of music that inspires me. This is just my opinion but you should listen to these songs if you haven’t before.

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What's your motivation?

6:45am the alarm goes off, after cursing the world and my boss. For some strange reason I drag myself out of bed, walk to the bathroom look in the mirror and ask why?

Why do I put myself through the heartache and pain of leaving my warm large soft lover? Perhaps the thought of gaining large love handles? Perhaps the though of dying earlier than my partner and friends? These thoughts roll through my mind over and over.

But why obsess? Why put myself through it?  Well the obsessing got me out of bed didn’t it?

After much faffing and posing around my bat cave studio, I pack my little backpack with the essentials:

-       Laptop

-       Change of clothes for work

-       Wallet

-       Mobile

-       Toiletries (too many to name)

-       Shoes

Headphones in, music playing at a level that will surely give me ear damage, I head up the stairs on my daily route to Fitness First Kings Cross.

Whilst sniffing in car fumes, urine smells, dog poo and chanel no. 5 (worn by a man`) the thoughts about health still run around in my head. Is my insecure warped body image, actually good for my health?

Both my parents are diabetics, my father is a self confessed alcoholic, and my mother has never touched a drop of alcohol but is a self confessed sweet tooth. They both were reasonable athletes in their hey day, but let their health slip away over the years.

I like to think of myself as a reasonably fit 25-year-old male. My diet is reasonably good, the odd steam dumpling being my biggest vice! But have I bucked a common trend with males in my family? Have I been self conscious enough to see my body age healthier than most?

I have lost granparents, uncles, aunties and cosuins due to health related problems. This should be a big motivator for me to stay fit, but strangely it’s the thought of being classified “overweight” and not getting acting gigs that motivates me?!

After smashing myself at the gym, and watching countless buff men parade around the gym aimlessly. I leave for work feeling a million bucks, the best a person can feel in the morning. And I say to myself, yeah it’s worth leaving my bed for. 

New Dawn

This is my first attempt at having my own blog. 

After numerous comments posted on news websites and other blogs, I decided it's time to start my own. Plus I realised that there was not many people in the world that have seen, or will get to see the things I have. 

Some of the questions though that I asked myself before setting up this blog was "Will people wanna read my shit?" I thought will I have enough interesting things for people to read about? Will my "friends" on Facebook be disheartened not to see my daily rants about life in general? 

Well after much thought I said bugger it, how many queer identifying Aboriginal, rugby playing, writing, acting, campaign running people are there out there in the big bad world?  

I am going to keep this one simple and short, this is only a snapshot into my world but I hope you will enjoy, laugh and be inspired. 

I live in Inner city Sydney, in what could be the campest, cutest and smallest suburb in Australia 'Elizabeth Bay'. Elizabeth Bay is situated on Sydney Harbour, just 15 mins east of the city. 

My place of chosen residence is a small walk from the Notorious Kings Cross, its here that I find most of my inspiration, funnily enough. On my way to gym then work, I side step homeless people, gang members, party goers, backpackers, corporates, socialites, celebrities (b-grade included) and everyone in between. This is all before 7am. 

My work is located in another iconic suburb of Sydney 'Redfern' well as some like to call it, the 'FERN'! After exiting the old run down train station, I strut quite confidently up Redfern Street opposite direction to the Block. For those of you who are not familiar with the Block, click here to read up more (I need a whole separate blog to give you an in-depth history lesson) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Block_(Sydney)

Again I side step various different types of people, this crowd though is a far cry from the B-grade celebrities seen in Kings X. 

Once at my heritage listed building in the heart of Redfern I am ready for the day..... Well so I think....