Earlier this month NPR profiled Alex Hernandez, a member of a Mexican third gender. This prompted me to re-post our discussion of muxes from 2008. Images of Hernandez are added at the end.
A New York Times article this week briefly profiles muxes, a third “gender” widely accepted in Oaxaca, Mexico. According to the article, this part of Mexico has retained many of the pre-colonial traditions. One of these included flexibility around gender and sexual orientation. From the article:
Alex with her mother, Rosa Taledo Vicente, and her father, Victor Martinez Jimenez:
Ninel with her boyfriend, Sebastian Sarmienta, 18 years old, have a laugh outside of Ninel’s home:
Carmelo with his grandmother at their home in Unión Hidalgo:
“Thalía,” who was named princess the night before at a vela, or community celebration, for the muxes, waits for a parade to begin:
Beth-Sua enjoys a smoke at a vela in Oaxaca City. She traveled there from the Isthmus to represent her city’s muxes:
Alex Hernandez at the Vela de Las Intrepidas, a festival in “celebration of ambiguity and mixed gender identities”:
More images at NPR.
Societal Images
A New York Times article this week briefly profiles muxes, a third “gender” widely accepted in Oaxaca, Mexico. According to the article, this part of Mexico has retained many of the pre-colonial traditions. One of these included flexibility around gender and sexual orientation. From the article:
There, in the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into gay and straight. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes” (pronounced MOO-shays) — men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned netherworld between the two genders.
“Muxe” is a Zapotec word derived from the Spanish “mujer,” or woman; it is reserved for males who, from boyhood, have felt themselves drawn to living as a woman, anticipating roles set out for them by the community.
…
Not all muxes express their identities the same way. Some dress as women and take hormones to change their bodies. Others favor male clothes. What they share is that the community accepts them; many in it believe that muxes have special intellectual and artistic gifts.
Ninel with her boyfriend, Sebastian Sarmienta, 18 years old, have a laugh outside of Ninel’s home:
Carmelo with his grandmother at their home in Unión Hidalgo:
“Thalía,” who was named princess the night before at a vela, or community celebration, for the muxes, waits for a parade to begin:
Beth-Sua enjoys a smoke at a vela in Oaxaca City. She traveled there from the Isthmus to represent her city’s muxes:
Alex Hernandez at the Vela de Las Intrepidas, a festival in “celebration of ambiguity and mixed gender identities”:
More images at NPR.
Societal Images
What's the purpose of this sentence? Maybe I'm missing it but there's nothing in this article about sexual orientation.
Otherwise it's an interesting article.
Edited at 2012-06-26 01:38 am (UTC)
I'm not sure I understand why someone would be opposed to how someone else perceives themself.
Really though, it's up to the muxes and other third gender groups to decide what to call themselves, and personally as a somewhat non-binary trans person, I wish that more cultures had additional genders.
As a binary-identified trans guy I agree with you.
I get extremely irritated when people try to act like ALL trans people are non-binary (or should be), and I've seen it a lot, and at a societal level that's probably happening with a lot of places where a third gender is recognized. But it's up to the people that are being lumped into that group whether or not they're okay with it, and if they are, more power to them, really. And it must be really great for those that do identify as non-binary--societal recognition can be a really empowering thing.
just in class about an hour ago, my lecturer said, "you can only be a male or female. either one. no exceptions."
yeah... no.
But I'm a little confused and if someone could clarify or point me in the direction of resources, I'd appreciate it. I was under the impression that "third gender" referred to people who did not identify as male or female. This seems to be exclusively biologically born males who identify as female. Does that mean a biologically born female who identified as male would not be included/welcome?
Also, what is the difference between FtM, MtF, and third gender? Is there one?
MtF = Male to Female, someone who was assigned male at birth but self identifies as female.
These are both generally used by binary-identified people (i.e. those who self identify as one or other of two genders).
Third gender: someone who does not identify as male or female, but as a third gender.
There are also agender (do not identify with any gender), neutrois (identify as neutral or centred between the genders), genderfluid (does not consistently identify with one gender).
Please note that these are western terms based in a western understanding of gender. Transgender (an umbrella term encompassing all those I have previously defined plus many others) people exist in every culture and are those who do not consistently identify as the gender expected of them due to their apparent physical sex at birth. However, the expression of this is culturally varient, so some cultures have a three or more genders, others do not.
Whether someone assigned female at birth would be welcome as third gender is not a question that can be answered simply. It is something that will be affected by culture, by the ratio of assigned male at birth (AMAB) and assigned female at birth (AFAB) trans* people, by the relative status of men and women, by the ease of 'passing' etc.
NB: it's better to use AFAB and AMAB than 'biologically born'. Whether a trans* person is 'biologically' one sex or the other is often used by transphobes to deny trans* people access to services. It also doesn't really make sense given how male and female are an assortment of characteristics, not exclusively defined by one thing or another. A better post on this is here.
This article makes my day. The entire community celebrates! They have parades! :D
“Thalía,” who was named princess the night before at a vela, or community celebration, for the muxes, waits for a parade to begin
The entire community celebrates. And they have parades. sorry something in my eye
These pictures are all gorgeous.