Myanmar spirit festival brings LGBT+ community into spotlight

In central Myanmar, a country torn apart by civil war, “spirit wives” are gathering once again despite ongoing hardships to embody their ancestral gods at an animist festival where LGBT+ people play a central role, AFP reported.

They drink, dance and then enter a trance. This week, several people who consider themselves mediums are embodying around 111 divine spirits from Myanmar’s ancient animist tradition during the annual Taungbyone festival near Mandalay in the center of the country, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“If you truly believe in them, then they come to you,” said Shwe Moe Thae Kyaw Kyaw, a 35-year-old “spirit wife.”

“And the more you believe in them, the more your wishes will be fulfilled,” she added.

The lively celebrations, which traditionally attract thousands of worshippers from across the country, have been disrupted in recent years by the civil war that began in 2021.

However, front lines have recently moved farther away from the area, providing a welcome respite for an event that many also regard as an unofficial celebration of the LGBT+ community — a kind of Pride — in a country where homosexuality is criminalized.

This is partly because most of the mediums participating in the festival are transgender women or members of other marginalized LGBT+ minorities.

At the center of attention at Taungbyone are the “Nat-kadaw,” or “spirit wives,” who spiritually unite with Myanmar’s powerful Nat deities. They become earthly embodiments of these spirits, drawing thousands of people who come to worship them.

The ancient animist belief system continues to coexist with Buddhism, the dominant religion in Myanmar.

Wearing elaborate gold jewelry and brightly colored makeup, the mediums spin while in a trance, reaching states of ecstasy under the watchful eyes of soldiers from pro-government militias.

The excited crowd throws roses and shouts, slipping bundles of money into the mediums’ clothing and placing lit cigarettes between their red-painted lips as the spirits begin to possess them.

“When the spirits come to me, I feel particularly peaceful and serene,” Shwe Moe Thae Kyaw Kyaw said.

“Remedies”

According to local beliefs, Nat spirits influence all kinds of events, from the sale of a second-hand car to the civil war affecting Myanmar’s population of around 50 million.

“I lost everything: my friends, my home, my future,” said a 35-year-old festival participant who requested anonymity for security reasons.

“I lost my way; that is why I came here — to find my way back,” he added.

The war was triggered by the 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives on all sides, according to estimates from ACLED, an organization that monitors reports of armed conflicts.

At the festival, “everyone prays to get what they want,” explained Tin Tin Aye, a 50-year-old street vendor selling the leaf hats worn by many participants.

“No matter how troubled they are, people feel joy the moment they arrive here,” she added.

Moral order, loyalty, protection of the home or safeguarding people struggling with alcohol and gambling addictions — each Nat spirit has its own significance.

“I connect people with Nat spirits according to their needs,” said Win Hlaing, a 65-year-old medium who considers the spirits to be “remedies.”

Photo: Amazing Myanmar / Facebook.com