Nádleehi is a social and, at times, ceremonial role in Diné (Navajo) culture[1] – an "effeminate male" or "male-bodied person with a feminine nature".
At times, some may hold positions that can only be held by people who are near the middle of the gender spectrum.
Notable people who were recognized by their communities as nádleehi are traditional weaver and ceremonial singer Hosteen Klah (1867–1937) and Fred Martinez, who was murdered at the age of 16 in June 2001.
[5] Fred Martinez lived in Cortez, Colorado, on a Diné reservation, with his mother Pauline Mitchell.
[6] Martinez's mother was supportive of her son and his friends, a number of whom were also gender nonconforming or LGBT.