Two Spirits, Fred Martinez
Thank you to my friend Allison for sharing this troubling and powerful story. Fred Martinez was a nádleehí, a male-bodied person with a feminine essence, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture. I used the past tense because he was brutally murdered. He was only sixteen when he was slain by a young man who bragged to friends that he had “bug-smashed a fag.” Martinez was of two spirits, both masculine and feminine energy. I strongly encourage all to see Two Spirits, the story of Fred Martinez. Click here to see the video clip and read the article in full. What kind of civilization brutally kills a young person like Martinez? Surely this is not what any type of divine being had in mind. Martinez’ story is just a series of stories that I hope will motivate all of us to recommit to stopping discrimination–what better way to honor the late Dr. King?
