變異的性行為

性少數: 6. 易裝癖者

兩個靈魂的男人

在许多无文字的文化中，有特殊才华的人会担任萨满教道士(shaman)，即担当现实世界和神灵世界的行道者。萨满教（shamanism）是一种非常古老的宗教，而且曾经遍布全世界。如今，萨满教只是在少数地区幸存了下来，但是它的一些影响仍能够在其它的宗教中寻到踪迹。萨满教道士是超自然的行家里手，而且能够释梦。他们也以许多其它方式帮人治病和消灾。大多数萨满教道士是男人，而且在许多文化中，他们是“两个灵魂的”男人——男性灵魂的男人和女性灵魂的男人。甚至，他们的女性灵魂可以通过采取女性性别角色、穿着女性服饰和“嫁给”男人的方式来实现。

許多美國土著部落認可“兩個靈魂的”男人，並且非常尊重他們。西方的研究者稱這樣的男人為“童子(berdache，法語，自阿拉伯語bardajo：‘處子’)”。 儘管這個術語的起源無人記起，人們發現這個並不合適卻易引起誤解的術語現在已經被廣泛接納。童子的角色曾經是治療師、教師、靈魂導師和預言家的角色。作為一名“男女合體人（man-woman）”，他享有很高的社會地位，並在男界和女界之間自如地轉換角色。

在印度，有另一種男人，他們在傳統上採取女性性別角色，被稱為閹人（hijras）。這些男人有時也被稱為“印度的第三性別”，他們拒絕做男性，其性器官讓人用外科手術給切除掉，而且入夥提供生活來源的閹人班[1]。這樣的社團像一個大家庭，它通過在婚禮上和其他喜慶時機組織唱歌、跳舞來養活自己的成員。許多閹人也以賣淫維持生計。他們全都被認為是具有特殊神靈天賦的性少數。閹人通過他們的母神芭護卡拉·瑪塔（Bahuchara Mata）的魔力，既能為他人祈禱祝福也能給人念咒降禍，因而他們的社會地位也具有宗教的色彩。不過，最近數十年的快速現代化轉型，已經打破了閹人存在的傳統社會基礎，因而他們現在逐漸被社會邊緣化了，成了社會的“棄兒”

In many preliterate cultures, especially gifted individuals act as shamans, i.e. as mediators between the natural and spiritual worlds. Shamanism is a very old form of religion and was once found all over the world. Today, it survives in only a few areas, but some shamanic influences can still be traced in other religions. Shamans are experts in the supernatural and can interpret dreams. They are also healers and help their tribes in many other ways. Most shamans are men, and in many cultures they are men of “two spirits” - one male, and the other female. Indeed, their female spirit may be expressed by adopting a female gender role, wearing female clothes and “marrying” a man.
Many Native American tribes recognized men of “two spirits” and treated them with great respect. Western observers called such a man “berdache” (French, from Arabic bardajo: "kept boy"). This inappropriate, misleading term has now found wide acceptance, since people no longer remember its origin. The role of a berdache was that of a healer, teacher, spiritual guide and prophet. As a “man-woman”, he enjoyed a high social status and moved freely between the worlds of women and men.
In India, there is another group of men who traditionally adopt a feminine gender role - the hijras. Sometimes called “India’s third sex”, these men reject their maleness, have their sex organs surgically removed, and join a hijra community that offers them support. Such a community is like a large family. It earns its living by singing, dancing at weddings and other festive occasions. Many hijras also work as prostitutes. They are all recognized as a minority with special spiritual gifts. Through the power of their mother goddes Bahuchara Mata they can either bless or curse others, and thus their status also has a religious aspect. However, the rapid modernization of recent decades has undermined the traditional basis of their existence, and thus they are now increasingly becoming marginalized.