A film depicting the life and death of a transgender Native American is planned Thursday in Port Angeles and Feb. 1 in Forks.
“Two Spirits” tells the story of Fred Martinez, who was nádleehí, a male-bodied person with a feminine nature, a special gift according to his Navajo community. At the age of 16, Martinez became one of the youngest hate crime victims in modern history.
The screenings are co-sponsored by Peninsula College’s House of Learning, Longhouse and the student club Rainbow Alliance.
Thursday’s screening will be at 7 p.m. at the Maier Performance Hall on the Peninsula College campus in Port Angeles at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.
Following the screening, Rainbow Alliance members will share their responses to the film during a special student-led panel.
At 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1, the film will be screened at the Peninsula College Forks campus, 481 S. Forks Ave. Members of the Rainbow Alliance also will lead a discussion.
Along with Martinez’s story, the film explores integrated gender identities, a belief within some Native American cultures that gender is not simply divided between male and female.
For more information, contact Helen Lovejoy at hlovejoy@pencol.edu.
