Trans activist fires back at detractors
COMMUNITY NEWS / Ignacio Rivera's two-spirit credentials questioned in Xtra comment section
Xtra staff / National / Friday, January 18, 2013
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A recent Xtra article about trans activist Ignacio Rivera left some readers questioning Rivera, who identifies as two-spirit.
 
“With Ignacio Rivera identifying as Two-Spirit, on behalf of the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society, I would like know what Native Nation is Ignacio Rivera a member of to use this term?” Harlan Pruden wrote in Xtra's comment section. 
 
Pruden then states that only indigenous people of Turtle Island are able to claim the two-spirit label. 
 
Another reader chimed in, writing, “This appropriation seems incredibly disrespectful.”
 
Rivera, who also goes by the name Papi Coxxx, read the comments and fired back in a video interview with Xtra (below).
 
“I don’t believe in this public shaming type of bullshit that they did,” Rivera says. “I could understand the concern about it because there are a lot of people who are not identified as indigenous or native who take that term and are using it for themselves.”
 
Rivera states that they (“they” is Rivera’s preferred pronoun) are Taíno, an indigenous people of Bahamas, Greater Antilles and northern Lesser Antilles. 
 
Rivera, who identifies as gender-fluid, uses gender-neutral pronouns but does cling to one feminine title -- the mother of one prefers to hold on to the label “mommy.”
 
This raises the question: what’s in a label?
 
Below is a label-rich interview with Rivera. The video opens and closes with short clips from one of their recent porn films, Mommy Is Coming. Rivera has a blog site and another site that features their art, film and writing. 
 
 
 
 
Ignacio Rivera, aka Papi Coxxx, in Mommy Is Coming.
 
 


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Reader Comments


 
vomitoria of boredom
Oh how nauseating! I could not get past the first few minutes. Split hairs with your psychiatrist you pretentious bullshit artist. Why do Xtra ninnies keep "interviewing" these nincompoops. It's not even funny. One article on this bore is enough. Two means the bore wants more money out of Toronto.
label label mabel gots the label, Toronto Ontario
01/18/13 8:20 PM EST
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Thank You
I really appreciate Ignacio's poise in the midst of 'public shaming bullshit', which far too many people seem very committed to (including myself at times). This interview was a refreshing example of how rise above it. It's also interesting to see which coverage (consistently) draws the most ire and 'disinterest'. I guess it eventually comes down to taste.
someone who is positive, toronto ontario
01/19/13 7:43 AM EST
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she epitomizes power and elitism
It is all bullshit. The ire comes because it is given attention. This person is the type who will reject anything to be seen as different. Such an us and them world of elitist privilege. So rejecting of anyone outside of her special trans queer theory urban set of cohort elitists. This person raises ire because she represents everything that is pretentious, selfish, apolitical, spoiled, elitist, entitled, and boring about Queer as an identity. Games being played by very very rich women with way way too much power and time on their hands. Obnoxious. I refuse to belong to any group what has this level of contemptuous old fashioned judgemental self-obsession.
screaming at the privilege, Toronto Ontario
01/19/13 9:41 AM EST
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Contempt for who/what?
I'm sorry, I guess I don't understand? I don't really know who is being judged, and if Ignacio is 'very, very rich' but um,... I guess my question is...if they have privilege, who is Ignacio taking it from, and how would you intend to hold up these 'unpretentious, giving, political, deprived, underclassed, unentitled, and exciting' folks when it comes to Queer as an identity? Seems like a more productive use of energy than just harshing on someone who you may see very often to the point of being cliche...but who some (like me) might rarely ever do? Not saying it's all your work tell me...and I will be thinking about it, but yeah...I find it confusing. Peace.
someone who is positive, toronto ontario
01/19/13 11:00 AM EST
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2000 characters vs. 9min interview
What gives...? I like how Ignacio Rivera does the very thing they find repugnant - attack the people who made some comments - with making no attempt to get to know them.... What gives Xtra... where's equal time in your reporting, you have my contact info, you also have access to Two-Spirit leaders in Canada? In a spirit of getting to know Ignacio Rivera more, I have some additional questions - none of which were asked in the entire 9 min interview..... Xtra, why am I doing you job..... What is the Taíno word for Two-Spirit? What were some of the traditional roles of the Taíno Two-Spirit people? Who are some notable Taíno Two-Spirit people? How does the Taíno Two-Spirit tradition differ from the today's LGBT movement? How do you reconcile those differences? Where exactly are your people from - naming the entire greater and lesser Antilles does really give me a sense of who you are? In that same area there also 8 major nations? What was the bounders of the Taíno Nation? What are you specifically doing to bring back your Taíno Two-Spirit traditions? As a First Nations Cree Two-Spirit activist working here in New York City and in the United States, I have answers for all of the above questions pertaining to my people and many of US and Canada Native Nations. I developed a 2-day training that answers all these questions and more for Native people working in alcohol and substance abuse treatment centers who want to provide better service to their Two-Spirit community members. I REALLY LOOK FORWARD to learning about you and your people. Perhaps, Xtra can give you another 9 mins to answer them. I will take a non-response as you can't answer them for you do not know the answer to them. If that is the case, are you going to continue using the term of Two-Spirit even tho you don't what it means to you and your Taíno culture
Harlan Pruden, New York City New York
01/19/13 4:09 PM EST
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amp amp amp
Borked Unicode strikes ‘Xtra’ again. (Ta [STRING OF MISENCODED AMPERSANDS] Y-acute!) But remember: Mobile is this magazine’s future.
Joe Clark, Toronto ON
01/19/13 4:16 PM EST
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Allowing vs not allowing comments
It appears that Xtra did not follow journalistic ethics when it failed to contact Harlan Pruden or any Two-Spirit leader for comment before publishing this story. But, at least Xtra still allows readers to post online comments on this story. In contrast, the "leave a comment" boxes on Toronto blog posts by Xtra's Jeremy Feist have been disabled. See: http://www.xtra.ca/blog/toronto/
Ken, Toronto ON
01/19/13 5:08 PM EST
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Xtra must stop this oppression olympic worship
Your anonymous article writer said that another commenter chimed in. Chimed in is a rather biased and nasty put down. A person out there read your PR piece on this phoney empress of all possible marginalizations, found her sickening and said so. This is not chiming in. This is an opinion based on presented information. It is also a protest to tell Xtra to stop the insanity. Stop worshipping these identity politics losers who offer nothing to daily life in our city of real people. Tell us stories of people who DO something and no more PR puff workship of who is the most identity oppressed this week. btw This charlatan was here pushing for money her products and deserves no more attention from Xtra than Miss Clairol's new fragrance for the deaf.
screaming at the priviledge, Toronto Ontario
01/20/13 8:03 AM EST
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accountability
Call "bullshit" and point fingers about "public shaming" all you like, but there is no side-stepping the problem of Rivera taking on the 2-Spirit label. I have a great admiration for Rivera's politic, and have been very interested to hear what they have said about sexuality and gender identity. No one is saying that they're not still sexy and radical, but I find it disrespectful that Rivera has taken on this particular label without having a firm sense of its meaning and how it relates to their lived experience. Public figures--especially those who position themselves as educators and activists--should not be surprised to be criticized publicly. The comments appearing with the original piece on Ignacio Rivera's use of the label "2-Spirit" have been incorrectly labelled as "public shaming". This question about their self-identification of 2-Spirit had to be put out there publicly; clearly no-one in any of Rivera's private circles felt empowered enough to question their use of this label. The comments that appeared with the original Xtra article are in no way "bullshit" either. It seems even more disrespectful that Rivera would even think that it is remotely appropriate to respond to an individual from a 2-Spirit organization who's posed very clear and direct questions with half-formed rationales. It would serve Rivera well to take some time for some serious self-reflection on these questions about their use of "2-Spirit". This should have been a conversation about the accountability of our activists and educators; this can still become a teaching moment.
Kiran, Toronto ON
01/21/13 1:47 PM EST
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Still Waiting a response.....
What is the Taino word for Two-Spirit? What were some of the traditional roles of the Taino Two-Spirit people? Who are some notable Taino Two-Spirit people? How does the Taino Two-Spirit tradition differ from the today's LGBT movement? How do you reconcile those differences? Where exactly are your people from - naming the entire greater and lesser Antilles does really give me a sense of who you are? In that same area there also 8 major nations? What was the bounders of the Taino Nation? What are you specifically doing to bring back your Taino Two-Spirit traditions? As I said before, as a First Nations Cree Two-Spirit activist working here in New York City and in the United States, I have answers for all of the above questions pertaining to my people and many of US and Canada Native Nations. I STILL AM REALLY LOOK FORWARD to learning about you and your people. Perhaps, Xtra can give you another 9 mins to answer them (or better yet, give me or some other Two-Spirit leader 9 mins to model how someone who is connected to their culture can answer these questions.) As of today, I will take a non-response from Ignacio Rivera to mean that Ignacio Rivera is unable answer the above questions. Then I MUST ask is Ignacio Rivera going to continue using the term of Two-Spirit even tho Ignacio Rivera doesn't what it means to ‘they’ or ‘they’s’ Taino culture?
Harlan Pruden, New York NY
01/22/13 10:09 AM EST
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STILL WAITING........
6 days and counting.......
Harlan Pruden, New York New York
01/24/13 4:30 PM EST
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I agree with with Harlan
Yeah, what Harlan said
Joe Loveless, Toronto Ontario
01/25/13 10:24 AM EST
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Email to the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Dear Mr. Matheson (Brandon.Matheson@xtra.ca), I am reaching to you for a response to my questions posted in the comment section to the story and 9 min interview with Ignacio Rivera. The entire story, along with the interview, was very one sided, seeing that commenters, like myself, are only given 2000 characters to re-act, ask questions and/or leave comments. (http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Trans_activist_fires_back_at_detractors-13046.aspx) As the Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of XTRA you are committed to bring fair, impartial and maintaining the highest standard of journalistic integrity. I strongly feel that it was very lazy journalism on the part of the staff writer for not to reaching out to me to find out where I was coming from. As a result, there was no follow up questions to Ignacio Rivera use of the term "Two-Spirit" in the 9 min interview other than giving 'they' a platform to promote 'they's' work. I do hope a follow up interview with Ignacio Rivera where some, if not all, my questions are asked of 'they". I look forward to hearing from you and/or reading Ignacio Rivera's responses! Harlan Pruden
Harlan Pruden, New York New York
01/25/13 1:12 PM EST
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ha ha ha
The Empress has no clothes. Miss Big kicks ass busting into this little town with the Queen of Identity Politics belt on pissing on the heterobourgeoisie of gay and lesbian boring stuff and moved on to whatever marginalized identity anyone could create she would one up it and now has been hoisted on her own boring female gentialia, lesbian with kinks old normal person going to the toilet like the rest of us. Pretentious cow! Your time and the era of queer gender identity elitism is OVER!!! You can return to being Jane Hathaway boring old normal cunt.
no more queer gender identity bullshit, Toronto Ontario
01/26/13 7:53 AM EST
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shrill shrieks from the fainting couch
The Tainophobia in these comments is appalling.
queergenderidentitycrap pearl clutcher, Pisselegantcoozeville NB
01/26/13 7:56 AM EST
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I agree with Harlan
Yeah, what Harlan said!
Tim, Toronto ON
01/26/13 10:31 AM EST
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