'Two Spirits', the Story of Fred Martinez, to be shown in Boulder

 

The film Two Spirits will be the focus of a workshop on Thursday, May 12, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sponsored by the nonprofit Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), the workshop will take place at the SPAN Outreach Center at 835 North Street in Boulder. 

The one-hour film explores the life and death of Fred Martinez, a male-bodied person with a feminine nature that was considered a special gift in his ancient Navajo Indian culture. At age 16, Martinez was one of the youngest hate-crime victims in modern times when he was brutally murdered in southwestern Colorado in June 2001. 

The film examines Western society’s gender roles that have been strictly binary – there are men and there are women – and what people are expected and permitted to do stem from the moment the doctor says, “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl.” Light refreshments will be served, and attendees are welcome to bring their own meal. Each attendee is requested to make a $10.00 donation, but nobody will be turned away due to inability to pay. The workshop is free to students and SPAN volunteers. RSVP via email to info@safehousealliance.org. - via La Gente Unida