The Two-Spirit Dry Lab (“the Lab”) brings together Two-Spirit and ally scholars to create bridges between one-another, the academia and community since our founding in 2018. We are thrilled to announce a milestone textbook chapter publication in the esteemed 2nd Edition of Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health, and Rights is one such milestone — a convergence of narratives that enrich our understanding of multifaceted nature of Two-Spirit identities and their intersections. This chapter offers a triumvirate of views, exploring Two-Spirit through the lived and living experiences of: Harlan Pruden, First Nations Cree Two-Spirit knowledge keeper; Travis Salway, a settler, and Social Epidemiologist; and finally Milo Ira, Metis graduate student who studies the impact of stigma on mental health care access for autistic people.

Edited by Peter Aggleton, Rob Cover, Carmen H. Logie, Christy E. Newman, Richard Parker, Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Rights is thoroughly updated with over 30 newly written chapters, like the Lab’s “Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing: Honouring gender and sexual diversity for those Indigenous to Turtle Island”. This edition brings together academics and practitioners from around the world to provide an authoritative and up-to-date account of the field.

Pruden, co-founder of the Two-Spirit Dry Lab, has an exemplary career of organizing and research within the Two-Spirit community. For Pruden, our chapter represents the culmination of an academic dream:

I remember watching a news story on an individual who was Canadian and had just climbed Mt. Everest. The interviewer asked this individual why they climbed Mt. Everest and they replied that they have a book of dreams and one of their dreams was to summit this mountain. Upon hearing this, I decided that I too should have a book of dreams. Being that I was the first person in my family to go to university (where I was studying western/continental philosophy), most of my textbooks were Routledge publications – so one of my dreams was to be published by this publisher. So with this news, I can now cross that dream off my list – who would have known!

Salway, another co-founder of The Lab contextualizes Two-Spirit for non-Indigenous readers:

While Two-Spirit belongs to people Indigenous to Turtle Island, settlers can learn from Two-Spirit teachings and find ways to honor and respect Two-Spirit work. In this context, I am thrilled that the Two-Spirit chapter in the new Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Rights” will bring reflections from members of the 2SDL to a wide audience of learners otherwise unfamiliar with the depth and significance of Two-Spirit.

Salway and Pruden have a long history of partnership in Two-Spirit Advocacy, and they founded the Lab on a foundation of relation and inclusion.

Ira continues this theme, exploring future directions for the application of Two(Spirit)-Eyed Seeing, particularly understanding neurodiversity through a Two-Spirit lens:

As we can re-Indigenize love, gender, and relationships by returning to Two-Spirit, we can explore how other ways of being can be liberated from colonial definitions. I’m so honoured to be part of this team and excited to share the lessons gifted to me from this Lab.

This Handbook is an essential reference for researchers and educators working in the fields of sexuality studies, gender studies, sexual health and human rights, and offers key reading for mid-level and advanced students.

Social researchers and their allies have worked hard in past decades to find new ways of understanding sexuality in a rapidly changing world. Growing attention is now given to the way sexuality intersects with other structures such as gender, age, ethnicity/race and disability, and increasing value is given to a positive approach focused on ethics, pleasure, mutuality and reciprocity. This Handbook explores:

  • theory, politics and early development of sexuality studies
  • ways in which language, discourse and identification have become central to research on sex, sexuality and gender
  • key issues across the broad media and digital ecology, demonstrating the centrality of representation, communication and digital technologies to sexual and gender practices
  • research focusing on the body and its sexual pleasures
  • work on forms of inequality, violence and abuse that are linked to sex, gender and sexuality

The Lab proudly shares the news of a 20% discount that is available – enter the code EFL04 at checkout. Please note that this discount code cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount and only applies to books purchased directly via www.routledge.com. This code expires on 01 March 2024.

Hb: 978-1-032-24398-6 | £205.00, USA $270.00
Eb: 978-1-003-27840-5 | £42.99, USA $51.25

For more information or to preview and purchase a copy of this book: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Sexuality-Gender-Health-and-Rights/Aggleton-Cover-Logie-Newman-Parker/p/book/9781032243986

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