#muxes

and if you’re going to argue that the third gendering is is a good thing then I have to ask how come there’s no third gender available culturally for people with vaginas? This is why the argument that some cultures were better or more accepting before European colonization falls flat… it was marginally better but still not that different. The sacred “third gender” was only for the girls with dicks, but even then the dolls were NOT recognized as “real women.” Take for example the Muxes of Oaxaca. My research says that these women cannot marry and have to remain celibate all their lives in order to be seen as worthy of their cultural importance or spiritual powers… and their community treats them like a mix between beloved gay boys and nice aunties. Like, I remember I watched El Secreto Del Rio, and in it there’s a scene where the main character, a trans woman, tells the group of Muxes, “I think ‘‘Muxe’ is fine but it’s not me. I want to be a woman! I AM a woman!” Beforehand, the Muxes had been telling her to settle for the Muxe label. That show is really wow

One of the truly special moments in the Mexico City pride parade was meeting this gorgeous Muxe. A muxe (pronounced roughly MOO-sheh) is a person recognized in Zapotec culture who was assigned male at birth but takes on a gender role that is distinct from being simply a man or a woman.

Rather than fitting neatly into Western ideas of “gay man,” “transgender woman,” or “nonbinary,” muxe is a culturally specific identity with centuries of history. Some muxes dress in traditionally feminine clothing full-time. And present as men in some settings and women in others. They do not see themselves as either men or women, but specifically as muxes.

The Muxes of Mexico by Tim Walker for Vogue Mexico and Vogue UK, December 2019

Today's theme for the October Doodle Challenge - Indigenous People's Day

This is an unorthodox choice for an October theme to some since it's not about fall or scary Halloween stuff, but it technically fits. It's part of October.

I drew my indigenous OC Ixchel Aguilar. They are a muxe. They belong to the Zapotec people, who have lived in Oaxaca for thousands of years. I am also part of that indigenous group