From the short local region out of Guna Yala off Panama’s east coastline, a thriving ‘third gender’ neighborhood is defying stereotypes – and you may venerating female.
Our very own Novel World
While the the dated, rickety sailboat glides effortlessly across the relaxed seas of one’s Caribbean, I am overrun of the effect there is merely found its way to heaven. Thrown over the turquoise blue waters, the small isles from glistening white sand, protected during the hand trees and you can eco-friendly coconuts, search also prime to be true.
This might be Guna Yala, also known as San Blas: an archipelago regarding Panama’s east coastline that contains more 300 countries, forty-two from which try populated because of the native Guna someone. Over 50,000 strong, the latest Gunas still alive since their ancestors did, hold when you look at the quick wooden shacks covered with palm actually leaves, that have logs smouldering about fires and you can hammocks symbolizing the only furniture.
Guna Yala try extraordinary in many ways: it is an independent native region, as well as banner sports a black colored, left-up against swastika, thought to represent the four instructions together with creation of brand new community. But even the really curious customs in the Guna Yala try its pure gender equality – and you can over threshold, or even event, from gender fluidity.
“My personal mom coached me steps to make such stunning molas, the traditional stitched outfits,” Lisa told you, proving me their incredible needlework. “Any of these represent birds and you may animals, many are particularly powerful – they’re going to protect you from evil morale,” she additional, smiling carefully.
Having a keen onlooker just like me, there isn’t one thing strange throughout the Lisa. Similar to a great many other Guna women, this woman is sitting in her own quick dug-away kayak and you can offering their unique breathtaking handicrafts to help you tourist ships. But Lisa came into this world an excellent kid. In a culture where women can be a portion of the dinner suppliers, property owners and you can decision suppliers, boys may choose to getting Omeggid, virtually ‘such good woman’, in which they operate and you may performs like many people in the neighborhood.
It ‘third gender’ is actually an entirely typical phenomenon on isles. If the an effective man initiate indicating a tendency on acting ‘female’, your family definitely accepts and allows him to expand upwards since the including. That often, Omeggid will discover an art which is generally of feminine; like, very Omeggid life style on the islands feel masters during the crafting the fresh new most detailed molas.
Diego Madi Dias, a keen anthropologist and article-doctoral specialist at the School regarding Sao Paulo, stayed one of the Guna for over two years and has now seen first-hands your effective matriarchal data inside Guna people was a big effect on the latest Guna men.
“New Guna has actually instructed me one children have to have adequate independence, because their ‘self’ is inspired by the heart, from within, and you can starts manifesting early. So if a masculine baby begins demonstrating a tendency into the are transgender, (s)he could be not avoided as himself,” the guy said.
Its ‘self’ originates from one’s heart, from the inside
Nandin Solis Garcia, a beneficial transgender wellness teacher and you will LGBTQ rights activist for the Panama City, to start with about Aggwanusadub and you can Yandub area teams out of Guna Yala, said one to increasing up because the a beneficial gay, gender-water kid was not difficult toward countries as she constantly had the assistance out-of her family unit members, relatives and you can people. It’s mainly men one feel transgender female – feminine transitions to help you men are uncommon, although second could well be similarly approved, she told me.
“You can find important design tales concerning the brand new frontrunners just who lead new way of life, laws and you will guidance for the Guna men and women to live by: men called Ibeorgun, his aunt Gigadyriai with his absolutely nothing aunt Wigudun – a figure you to belonged about what we could possibly phone call this new ‘third gender’,” Dias told you, describing you to definitely Wigudun is actually female and male.
Diego Madi Dias: “If the a masculine infant initiate showing a tendency into getting transgender, (s)he could be perhaps not averted getting himself” (Credit: Paul Stewart)
Strolling on the roadways on the Crab Area, one of the primary groups about touristic section of Guna Yala, We notice women every-where. Sporting wonderfully stitched traditional outfits, they truly are taking care of the handicrafts, tending short shops and you will promoting as well as beverages. In comparison to a great many other Central American countries, Guna feminine check alot more outbound and you will talkative: striking right up a discussion listed here is much easier compared to the fresh new streets off Guatemalan otherwise Nicaraguan towns.
Based on David, my personal book into Crab Island, women in Guna Yala appreciate an elevated position. A traditional Guna marriage comes with a great ceremonial abduction of your bridegroom, not this new bride, just in case a young man is actually hitched regarding, he moves towards the bride’s home. In the future, their work belongs to the female’s family, and it’s really this new lady which find whether their own husband is also show their seafood, coconuts otherwise plantains together with individual moms and dads otherwise siblings.
Even the partying here, David said, is performed to honour feminine: the three main festivals regarding the Guna Yala countries was an excellent girl’s birth, their own adolescence and her relationships. The complete neighborhood collects to drink chicha, a powerful regional alcohol, to help you celebrate girlhood and you can womanhood. Into the adolescence occasion, good girl’s septum are pierced and you will decorated having a golden ring.
“Gold was appreciate https://internationalwomen.net/fi/blog/postimyynnissa-morsian/, very female wear silver showing how beloved and you will valuable they was,” an elderly Guna lady told me, directing at her own golden nose-ring.
