Best of Both Worlds

By Sabrina Samone

There’s so many ways to celebrate our duality, being Trans, and why we should. So often we’re faced with the doom and gloom of living in a world that discriminates against us, that causes us to doubt at times our own self worth, but why should we? We as Trans-people are extremely special in so many ways.

Unfortunately so many words or labels we’ve once accepted, we now quickly discard, due to those who have exploited those terms in derogatory ways. We’ve given those that have distorted the meaning, the power. As a trans-gal babe just starting HRT, how we loathed the word she-male. There was nothing more humiliating. We were more satisfied at the time, with the term Tranny over she-male, yet as time has proved, they’ve made that as ugly and as shameful. Now as a community we’ve discarded that from our vocabulary. One that I will not let them take is; Best of Both Worlds, because we are just that. We’re a unique special two spirited people with a long history in the human race.

Two spirited people: long before the white Europeans stole the land of the Native Americans, two spirited people existed. In this land we call North America there is nothing more traditional than two spirited people. We were considered a third gender, and were a fundamental institution among most tribal people. Male and Female two spirited people have been documented in over a 130 tribes in every region of North America.¹ Two spirits usually indicates a person whose body simultaneously manifests both a masculine and feminine spirit. They were highly respected in their tribe and were considered healers, fortune tellers, matchmakers and to have a child named by a two spirit person was to have a lucky name in life.

In Ancient times we were considered dually-gifted and respected. What we understand as transgender today had often been understood quite differently at various periods in time. In the earliest ages, people who were seen to bridge the genders were often thought to possess wisdom that cis-gender people did not and were often exalted in society for this. Roman historian Plutarch depicts “the Great Mother” as an intersex deity from who the two sexes had not yet split.¹½ Transgender depictions of the Great Mother and her priestesses are found in ancient artifacts back to the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylonia and Akkad. In ancient times there were no words such as homosexuality or bisexuality, most just enjoyed sexuality.

**Cybele, mother goddess and known to have transgender priesthood (2)**

Today eunuchs or Hijra, as they are commonly referred as in India and other parts of south Asia; perform blessings in the form of dances at birth ceremonies and weddings. Though now, modern bigotry plagues this group as it does transgender people everywhere.

**Depiction of Bagoas, known eunuch lover of Alexander the Great (3)**

Whether it is two-spirited or eunuchs’, today transgender people are highly sexualized and the classic terminology used in the growing industry of transgender porn is to market us as the best of both worlds. But discarding this phrase regardless how you feel about adult entertainment, is giving them the power over it’s meaning and value to us as a people. We are indeed the best of both worlds, spiritually, physically for many, sexually, and that is something we should not be ashamed of.

It may seem shallow coming from admirers, or in a sexual reference, but it is also a compliment and appreciation for the blessings we offer the universe. By entertaining theses expressions of admiration is really intriguing; cis-gender women who admire trans-men may often say that their masculinity is much more traditional, unstained by guaranteed perceptions of male privilege, and better at connecting with women, most cis-gender men say they admire trans-women for their detail and appreciation of their femininity, something even cis-women feel that women have lost on a quest for equality. Men notice a more tender approach to their male ego.

Also trans-amorous admirers, and allies think of us as brave, strong despite the great opposition we face in society. Transgender people regardless how young or old are known to have thick skin and become very wise, very fast. We could also take a moment to listen to our allies, cause we are stronger than I think we give ourselves credit for at times. While society at large seems to continue the gender war between male and female, and sexual wars of heterosexual and homosexual, we have the wisdom to see all the sides, the negative and positive of both. Those of us that due to the drastic physical changes that we receive from testosterone and estrogen and can resist being servants of Narcissus; a fixation with oneself, many are wise beyond our years, make great loyal trustworthy friends and because of a duality in mental thinking make great artist, writers, politicians, business people, psychologist, because we are all just a little better at seeing all sides of things that are usually missed by cis-gender people.

Of course, I’m not implying we are better or superior to cis-gender people, but given the facts of history, we are an equal contributor to the human race. Equality for third gender people should be the norm, and should not have to be fought for like crumbs in the streets from people who are as mortal as we are, with no more of a supreme right than we have to dictate the meaning of life. Society today is nothing more than left over debris from the dark ages. A time when people thought it best to punish themselves for any personal pleasure, happiness and believed in so many superstitions that made rational thinking of the time nearly equivalent to the cave man era. We are still living off the residue of that era, limiting the imagination of the human race because of medieval beliefs.

We as third gender people, do have a lot to be proud of. For those of us alone and felling there is nothing to live for, these are a few reasons to realize how special you are. We have a spiritual purpose, past and future for mankind. We have attributes that due to our misfortunate birth defects and the way society responds to it, makes us see things in not so rigid ways. A prime example is the bathroom debacle; cis-gender can’t get their minds beyond sexuality and sexual desire. While it is as plain to most of us like the paint on the wall, it baffles many of us why they can’t. I think personally this is part of our gift to the world, our purpose to help all of mankind to transcend to a higher level of consciousness, because we truly are, the best of both worlds.

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More supportive scriptures from the Holy Bible supporting the inner beauty of third gender people:

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Zechariah 12:1
“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.”
John 7:24:
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment”