Mission Statement
Bay Area American Indians Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people.
Organizational Description
BAAITS is a community-based volunteer organization offering culturally relevant activities for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Native Americans, their families and friends. Two-Spirit refers to the commonly shared notion among many Native American tribes that some individuals naturally possessed and manifested both a masculine and feminine spiritual qualities. American society commonly identifies Two-Spirit People as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender.
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits comes together to socialize, share and network in an alcohol and drug-free environment. BAAITS sees itself as an organization for Two-Spirit people to explore their rich heritage in a safe environment. To that end, BAAITS is committed to offering culturally relevant activities for LGBT individuals of Native American ancestry and their families and friends.
BAAITS Membership
BAAITS is a volunteer group, which keeps the Bay Area (California) Two-Spirit community connected by offering events and gatherings. Members generally sign up for our email listserv in order to stay informed about local Two-Spirit issues, events, and opportunities. Many dozens of members regularly participate in the activities and events of the group. A Core group of members regularly meets to plan events and strategies to advance Two-Spirit visibility and wellbeing. Members generally come from the areas surrounding San Francisco- including members from as far south as San Jose and as far North as Santa Rosa, with many members who live in Oakland and other East Bay cities, in addition to San Franciscans.
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