变异的性行为

性少数: 6. 易装癖者

两个灵魂的男人

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。

许多美国土著部落认可“两个灵魂的”男人，并且非常尊重他们。西方的研究者称这样的男人为“童子(berdache，法语，自阿拉伯语bardajo：‘处子’)”。 尽管这个术语的起源无人记起，人们发现这个并不合适却易引起误解的术语现在已经被广泛接纳。童子的角色曾经是治疗师、教师、灵魂导师和预言家的角色。作为一名“男女合体人（man-woman）”，他享有很高的社会地位，并在男界和女界之间自如地转换角色。

在印度，有另一种男人，他们在传统上采取女性性别角色，被称为阉人（hijras）。这些男人有时也被称为“印度的第三性别”，他们拒绝做男性，其性器官让人用外科手术给切除掉，而且入伙提供生活来源的阉人班[1]。这样的社团像一个大家庭，它通过在婚礼上和其它喜庆时机组织唱歌、跳舞来养活自己的成员。许多阉人也以卖淫维持生计。他们全都被认为是具有特殊神灵天赋的性少数。阉人通过他们的母神芭护卡拉·玛塔（Bahuchara Mata）的魔力，既能为他人祈祷祝福也能给人念咒降祸，因而他们的社会地位也具有宗教的色彩。不过，最近数十年的快速现代化转型，已经打破了阉人存在的传统社会基础，因而他们现在逐渐被社会边缘化了，成了社会的“弃儿”。

Sexual Minorities: 6. Transvestites

Men of Two Spirits

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.