The Founding Folk of L.A. Were LGBTQ-Friendly, Celebrated “Two-Spirited” Tribe Members
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LGBTQ+ history in Los Angeles begins well before Los Angeles even existed. Before colonial settlers took over in 1781, L.A. was called Yang Na and was home to the Tongva Tribe.
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The Tongva people believed in gay marriages, transgender lifestyles and that homosexuality was determined in utero. The Tongva celebrated homosexuals as “two spirited” people, thinking of it as a gift rather than defection. Eventually Catholicism took over the majority of religion in the Yang Na area, diluting the native beliefs and practices.
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Though much of the Tongva history has be erased, there is a Yang Na plaque at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles monument near Olvera Street.