Translations:Gender-variant identities worldwide/19/en


 * Name of identity: Muxe, also spelled muxhe. This is Zapotec for "woman," but their society distinguishes them from women. Another possible origin of the word is the Spanish word for "woman", mujer.
 * Culture: Zapotec cultures of Oaxaca (southern Mexico)
 * Era: Pre-Columbian to present. A post-Columbian origin myth for the muxe says the muxe "fell out from the pocket of Vicente Ferrer, the patron saint of [the small town Juchitán de Zaragoza], as he passed through town, which, according to locals, means they were born under a lucky star. A second version of the saint’s legend says that Vicente Ferrer was carrying three bags: one with female seeds, one with male seeds and one where the two were mixed. According to this story, the third bag sprung a leak in Juchitán, and that’s the reason why there are so many muxes here."
 * Description of sex/gender: AMAB and feminine, and traditionally considered a third gender role between men and women
 * Role in society: mostly women's work, but also men's work