International Mayan League 1201 K St. NW Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 827-6673 Email: info@mayanleague.org www.mayanleague.org
STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL MAYAN LEAGUE ON INDIGENOUS SEXUAL DIVERSITY IN ABIAYALA “Let the flowers bloom, let the rainbow cover the sky; today is a moment of joy, pride and freedom”. Nana Xhiv, of the Ixil Maya people. The International Mayan League, the only organization led by Maya women and youth in the United States, recognizes, supports, and celebrates the diversity of Maya communities, both in our ancestral lands and in the diaspora. Like the seeds of our sacred corn, our peoples and communities are also diverse in all our expressions, including Kab'awil, Kot, Winaq, Muxe, Two-Spirit, NonBinary, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Transgender, Transsexual and Questioning identities (from now on, LGBTQ2s+). You are not alone. We see you, support you, and honor your nawal and spirit. We work to promote, preserve, and transmit the worldview and perspectives of the Maya while defending all of our human rights. We also facilitate spaces not only for dialogue, but also for taking actions that recognize and respect the identities, experiences, and rights of Indigenous peoples with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Likewise, we recognize that systems of oppression through colonization have infiltrated our peoples and have created spaces in which the families and relatives of Indigenous LGBTQ2s+ are attacked. This violence, which is often intergenerational, needs to be broken and is ultimately not an inherent part of our cultures. In our direct work with the community, we have seen that Maya youth with diverse sexual identities represent a growing population in the diaspora. Many of us have been forced to flee our ancestral lands not only due to debilitating poverty and lack of a dignified life, but also because of discriminatory and violent legislation that criminalizes and strips Indigenous peoples with diverse sexual identities of their basic human rights. Given these circumstances, many young people are forced to migrate and even in their long journey north they face various levels of violence due to their indigeneity, gender, language, and non-heteronormative sexual identity. The International Mayan League celebrates the strength, leadership, vision, and contributions of the Maya community whose identities are Kab'awil, Kot, Winaq and LGBTQ2s+. We work to defend and revitalize Mayan languages and cultures, establish communication models that are indigenous, and accompany the Maya in general, especially the Indigenous LGBTQ2s+ community. In the space that we have created for the human rights of Indigenous peoples in the diaspora, the Kab'awil, Kot, Winaq, Muxe and LGBTQ2s+ community is also supported and celebrated. The International Mayan League is a safe place where you are welcomed. All members of our peoples have the right to exist as equals to others , to live freely and to love without discrimination, fear, or violence. Piscataway Nation Territory | Washington, D.C. 2022