Winkte
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{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (also spelled {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is the contraction of an old Lakota word, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning 'wants to be like a woman'.<ref name="Medicine">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Historically, the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} have in some cases been considered a social category of male-bodied individuals who adopt the clothing, work, and mannerisms that Lakota culture usually considers feminine.<ref name="Medicine" /> However, in contemporary Lakota culture, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is usually used to refer to a homosexual man, regardless of whether that man is in other ways gender non-conforming. Contemporary {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} may or may not consider themselves part of the more mainstream gay, LGBTQ, or pan-Indian two-spirit communities.<ref name="Medicine" /> Historically, sometimes the direction to adopt the social and spiritual aspects of this role has come in a series of dreams.<ref name="Medicine" />
While historical accounts of their status vary, most accounts treated the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} as regular members of the community, and not in any way marginalized for their status. Other accounts held the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} as sacred, occupying a liminal, third-gender role in the culture, and born to fulfill ceremonial roles that could not be filled by either men or women.<ref name="Medicine" /> In contemporary Lakota communities, attitudes toward the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} vary from accepting to homophobic.<ref name="Medicine" /><ref name="WinkteInterview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EtymologyEdit
Sihasapa and Minneconjou Lakotan anthropologist Beatrice Medicine writes:
In my childhood, we were aware of this social category, which was referred to as winkte. Linguistic analysis of this Lakota word is:
- win – "woman"
- kte – "to be like"
- kte – "to kill" (a deeper structural form)
- "The common vernacular usage was winkte "wants to be like a woman."
- We, as children, were instructed, "There are these individuals – in all cases males (wicasa). They are different. They are winkte. Don't make fun of them. They are also Lakota," said our parents and grandparents.<ref name=Medicine/>