Two-spirit flag raising at Thompson city hall a 'really affirming' sign for 2SLGBTQ Indigenous people in north

Ace Doran-Campbell and Francis Budd say seeing the two-spirit flag rise above Thompson city hall this Pride month gives them hope for 2SLGBTQ people like them in northern Manitoba.

Both are two-spirit, born and raised in Thompson, and say the ceremony on June 11 helped them feel connected to a broader community that has been disconnected during the pandemic.

"Knowing that there is a large community of people here similar to me, and just seeing it high, raised on a flag pole, is pretty amazing," said Doran-Campbell, 20. "That's definitely raising the spirits here."

Both met for the first time at the flag raising and say that growing up they didn't see much in the way of two-spirit representation in the north.

"I think it was really affirming to see the two-spirit flag being raised," said Budd, 24. "It's only been as of late that I've really felt connected to other members of the community."

Doran-Campbell, whose family is from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, echoed that sentiment.

They came out to their extended family within the past year after learning during the isolation of the pandemic that they are two-spirit. 

"Self-acceptance, self love is something that takes a long time," they said. "Every time I hear fellow two-spirit or non-binary people speak, even fellow members of the trans community, so much of it hits home for me."

Doran-Campbell shared a speech at the flag raising event that touched on the legacy and impact of colonial systems on generations of Indigenous people. They say their mother is a Sixties Scoop survivor and there are several residential school and day school survivors on their father's side of the family.

As encouraged as they are by the flag raising, Doran-Campbell suggested there is still a lack of awareness and acceptance in some parts of the north.

"There's definitely a lot of unlearning that has to be done in a lot of the communities from people and churches that taught our people hate," they said. "And just realizing that two-spirit people, we've always been here, we're not something new, and we're going to be here. We're not going anywhere."

Budd, whose pronouns are he and they, is Cree and Métis with family ties to Kinosao Sipi First Nation, also known as Norway House Cree Nation.

He realized about two years ago he is two-spirit and remembers up until a few years ago feeling afraid to be at Pride celebrations. This year, Budd was a speaker at Pride.

They said from what they've seen in the community in recent weeks, it's clear Thompson is ready to embrace change.

"To be amongst our people has been overwhelming, overjoyed," said Budd.

Work that remains

Budd said in the north there are still barriers to important health care and community resources for 2SLGBTQ people and those who can get pregnant, including gender-affirming care and and abortion services.

That means two-spirit, non-binary and transgender individuals from northern communities are forced to travel to Winnipeg for those services rather than getting them in their communities.

"We need trans health care up here, we need women's health care up here," says Doran-Campbell. "We need more resources here in the north."

Budd says moving forward they also hope to see more overall supports for addictions, mental health and housing.

"I think a lot of two-spirit LGBTQ people are vulnerable to things like addictions, homelessness, mental illness and so if we were to collaborate with these kinds of frameworks in terms of addictions, counselling, even just peer support, I think we would rise a community," they said. "It would be monumental."