Analysis Of The Documentary Two Spirits: Sexuality, Gender, And The Murder Of Fred Martinez

In most cultures today, it is often deduced that people who identify out of regular norms, such as gay or transgender are very untraditional. However, in the documentary Two Spirits: Sexuality, Gender, and the Murder of Fred Martinez, filmmaker Lydia Nibley, shows us how far from true that is. According to the documentary, the term “two spirits” was only recognized in 1990 at an international gathering, as it was a more acceptable term for other cultures, rather than saying gay or lesbian (Nibley, 2009). The documentary focuses on Native American culture, specifically the Navajo culture, where we learn about their beliefs and how their history ties into an inviting culture towards the LGBTQ community. However, acceptable this culture was

Even though Fred grew up wanting to be just like his dad, when he reached a certain time in his life, he knew he was not happy with his identity. Fred did not identify as most other people did and called himself two-spirited (Nibely, 2009). In more recent times, more people have begun to identify against what is considered to be traditional. According to the documentary, Cathy Renna, a LGBTQ activist in New York says that queer youth tend to be more fluid in their actions (Nibely, 2009). This was true for Fred too, who did not like labeling himself. Eve though he was accepted by his family and his immediate Navajo community, he did experience discrimination in high school, which lead to him attempting to commit suicide. Cathy also states that this is also the case for many other members of the LGBTQ community who either attempt to commit suicide or are successful at it, only because they are not accepted for who they are. However, when Fred re-discovered himself, he wanted to move to bigger cities like New York or Los Angeles, where he could safely express himself. Fred’s murder was a result of a hate crime by another individual named Sean Murphy. Sean was only caught because he was boasting about how he beat up a “fag” (Nibley, 2009). This shows why Fred felt unsafe in his own hometown and how people did not fully accept him. While it is unclear if Sean was a member of the Navajo tribe, we know that his beliefs did not line up with the beliefs of the Navajo community and as a result, an innocent person was