Gender-Diverse Roles in Ancient Mesopotamia

A long time ago in a place called Mesopotamia, people who were not just male or female had special jobs.

These people were called assinnu and ša rēši.

The assinnu worked in temples for the goddess Ištar, who could change their gender.

The ša rēši worked in the king's palace and were very important.

They could do things that other men couldn't, like go into the women's quarters.

These people were respected because of their unique gender, not in spite of it.

This shows that in some ancient societies, people who were different were valued and had important roles.