The 5,000-Year Legacy: Gender Fluidity in the Cradle of Civilisation
At TransLucent, we often hear that gender fluidity is just a “modern trend” or something invented by the West. However, when we look more closely at history, it becomes clear that gender diversity is not new—it has existed for millennia and was even regarded as sacred in many cultures.
In Ancient Mesopotamia—the so-called “Cradle of Civilisation”—gender diversity was at the heart of their worldview. At the centre was Inanna (Sumerian) or Ishtar (Akkadian), the Queen of Heaven, whose power came from her ability to break down boundaries.
The Lady of Infinite Variance
Inanna was a goddess full of contradictions—she ruled both love and war, and was known as both the morning and evening star. She existed in the spaces between, always blurring lines. The Sumerian hymn The Exaltation of Inanna (Nin-me-šarra) paints her as a force of nature who shakes things up to keep the world in balance.
To the Mesopotamians, Inanna was much more than just a woman—she was a being who broke the gender binary entirely. Some ancient texts even describe her as “clothed in womanhood” but “wearing a beard” that shone with divine power. She looked after those who lived between worlds. The power to change a person’s gender was even one of her core gifts, known as her “Me,” or the rules that shaped the universe.
Enheduanna: The Voice of the Goddess
Much of what we know comes from Enheduanna (around 2300 BCE), the High Priestess of Ur. She was a trailblazer—the first known author to put her name to her writing. In her hymns, she openly celebrates Inanna’s power to transform gender:
“To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inanna.”
For Enheduanna and her peers, this wasn’t just a metaphor about personality—it described something real and lived. To the Sumerians, gender wasn’t locked in by biology. It could be altered, whether through the gods’ blessing or through special rituals.
The Sacred Clergy: A Life Beyond the Binary
Inanna’s temples were home to unique individuals who lived outside the usual categories of “man” or “woman.” Far from being outcasts, they were central to religious life:
- The Gala (Kalû): These people led rituals of song and lament. Many were assigned male at birth, but they lived openly in feminine roles, took on women’s names, and spoke a dialect called Eme-sal—used only by women and goddesses.
- The Assinnu and Kurgarrū: Called “man-women” in the old texts, these devotees were believed to have had their masculinity transformed by the goddess. During festivals, they wore mixed clothing—one side for women, the other for men—and carried both a spindle and weapons, thereby combining symbols of femininity and masculinity.
People in these roles held special status. Because they didn’t fit neatly into the “man” or “woman” categories, they were seen as closer to the divine, with the power to see the future and perform sacred rituals that others couldn’t.
The Myth of the Underworld: A Story of Resilience
There’s even an ancient creation story about gender-variant people in the myth of Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld. When Inanna is trapped in the land of the dead, the wise god Enki realises that no “man or woman” can make the journey and return.
So Enki creates Asu-shu-namir—someone who is neither male nor female. Because they exist outside the usual rules, Asu-shu-namir can slip through the seven gates of the Underworld and rescue Inanna.
In the Akkadian telling, the Queen of the Underworld is furious at this outsider and curses them to live on society’s edge. But Ishtar (Inanna) counters with a blessing, giving them gifts of healing, prophecy, and her protection. It’s a powerful story that mirrors the trans experience: even if society tries to push us aside, our unique perspective is a source of strength, healing, and wisdom.
Why This History Matters
When we stand up for trans and non-binary rights today, we’re not inventing something new. We’re reclaiming a place in history that’s been here for over five thousand years.
From the temples of ancient Sumer to the streets of our cities today, people outside the gender binary have always been a vital part of humanity’s story. Inanna’s legacy reminds us that gender fluidity isn’t a break from the past…it’s one of the oldest and most sacred parts of who we are.
