Name of identity:Muxe, also spelled muxhe. This is Zapotec for "woman," but their society distinguishes them from women.[1] Another possible origin of the word is the Spanish word for "woman", mujer.[2]
Culture: Zapotec cultures of Oaxaca (southern Mexico)
Era: Pre-Columbian to present.[1] 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."[3]
Description of sex/gender: AMAB and feminine, and traditionally considered a third gender role between men and women[4]
Role in society: mostly women's work, but also men's work[1][5][6]
↑Bennholdt-Thomsen, Veronika (2008). "Muxe: el tercer sexo"(PDF) (in Spanish). Goethe Institut. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
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↑Chiñas, Beverly (1995). Isthmus Zapotec attitudes toward sex and gender anomalies, pp. 293-302 in Stephen O. Murray (ed.), "Latin American Male Homosexualities" Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. Chiñas (p. 294) defines muxe as "persons who appear to be predominantly male but display certain female characteristics" and fill a "third gender role between men and women, taking some of the characteristics of each."
↑Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Lynn 2002
↑MIANO, M. (2002). Hombre, mujer y muxe’ en el Istmo de Tehuantepec. México: Plaza y Valdés. CONACULTA-INAH.