Jason Mraz has been slammed for appropriation after coming out as Two Spirit

Jason Mraz has been called a “white settler,” compared to Christopher Columbus and accused of cultural appropriation after coming out as Two Spirit.

The “I’m Yours” singer revealed how he defines his sexuality last week, ending weeks of speculation sparked by his poem for Pride Month, which ended with the line “I am bi your side.”

Mraz revealed: “I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman who became my wife. It was like: ‘Wow, does that mean I am gay?’ And my wife laid it out for me.

Mraz was responding to speculation that he’s bi (Jamie McCarthy/Getty)

“She calls it ‘Two Spirit,’ which is what the Native Americans call someone who can love both man and woman. I really like that.”

But the backlash against 41-year-old musician was loud and swift, as many expressed anger at a non-Native person co-opting the term.

‘Two Spirit’ is used by Indigenous North American and First Nations people to represent those who possess both masculine and feminine spirits, and can encompass sexual, gender and/or spiritual identities.

Two Spirit as a term was coined in 1990 (Wiki Commons)

Although Two-Spirited people have been described throughout history, the term was coined in 1990 at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations Gay and Lesbian American Conference in Winnipeg, Canada.

It was chosen as a means of unifying the different gender identities and expressions of Native American, First Nations and Indigenous people.

And commenters have made the point that it certainly wasn’t created for white people.

Mraz during the Songwriters Hall of Fame 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner (Gary Gershoff/Getty)

One person wrote simply: “Flat out, you don’t get to call yourself Two Spirit if you aren’t Native. Don’t.”

Flat out, you don’t get to call yourself Two Spirit if you aren’t Native. Don’t.

• Dec 01

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