The actor remembers thinking everybody should just be they from a young age.
Lily Gladstoneuses she/they pronouns, and says that they represent a way of resisting colonial structures.
When I’m in a group of men, I don’t feel like a man.
Lily Gladstone.Theo Wargo/Getty
I don’t feel [masculine] at all.
I feel probably more feminine when I’m around other men.
Gladstone also explained how her gender identity reflects their Indigenous heritage.
In most Native languages, most Indigenous languages, Blackfeet included, there are no gendered pronouns.
There is no he/she, there’s only they, the actor explained.
Gladstone has both Blackfeet and Nimiipuu heritage, and grew up on a Blackfeet reservation in Montana.
Gladstones nuanced relationship with gender began at a young age.
And then they’ll get embarrassed about it, but it’s because they’ve learned English later.
Gladstone says that the complexity of many Indigenous languages means that there arent gendered pronouns.
So Blackfeet, we don’t have gendered pronouns, but our gender is implied in our name.
But even that’s not binary, they explained.
For example, Gladstones grandfathers Blackfeet name meant Iron Woman.
He had a name that had a woman’s name in it.
I’d never met my grandfather.
Gladstone also acknowledged the pros and cons of awards shows giving gendered awards to performers.
There’s no ‘producer-ess,’ there’s no ‘cinematographer-ess.
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