Thursday, May 7, 2009

Hermaphrodites: The "Muxe" Of Mexico



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.

Muxes means gay men but translates culturally as a third gender. A muxe has one major dissimilarity to the the gay male in the United States. They're raised to forsake their masculinity and encouraged to embrace the femininity of a woman, a girl. Playing with dolls and dressing as girls is orchestrated by their mothers. Two reasons why, one is to increase future economic growth for their family.

A family which has a muxe is considered one of the elite. They earn higher wages. Mostly by designing dresses gowns and blouses. Their creative talents are sought out for the towns many parades and festivals. Several times per week Juchitan holds one of these events. Secondly, seeing as the muxes income far exceeds that of the father and his sisters the mother grooms her son in order to have herself provided for through out life. He's to remain in her household.

Muxes very seldom have intimate relations with men, even though they're dressing and living life as women. A rites of passage ceremony happens at a certain age. Whereby it's confirmed an announced to the community by taking on a woman's name. This event is a marked celebration by a huge gathering of people of all ages. A 'coming-out' party, so-to-speak.

According to anthropologists, this third "gender" category was more widespread until Spanish colonists wiped it out in favor of Catholicism and a gender binary system:

...pointing to accounts of cross-dressing Aztec priests and Mayan gods who were male and female at the same time. Spanish colonizers wiped out most of those attitudes in the 1500s by forcing conversion to Catholicism. But mixed-gender identities managed to survive in the area around Juchitán, a place so traditional that many people speak ancient Zapotec instead of Spanish.

Story Continues...

36 comments:

  1. The "Muxe" on the far right has eyebrows like the "knowles" family.

    Shoot! The one on the far left look like "Beyonce" before she took the pill.

    I wouldn't be suprise if the Knowles family members are from "Mexico City". It could be the reason why they ended up in "Texas" too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are too many people from Mexico who claimed to be "black" because they carry the dark complexion. Most well never speak Spanish around a true "black" person.

    One of my close friend had a baby by a man whom she thought was "black". The child was born with two genitials. My friend drop the dude and moved on. He was very upset and took his frustration out on her and the child. She had to get a restraining order against him. She was so suprised when he came straight out and revealed that he was born in Mexico and he had sex with his mother. He laughed at her for having their "bastard child" (that's what he called their child). He cursed her in spanish and use to leave dead animals at her front door. It was so awful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay I believe that Beyounce and alot of her family members are intersexed. But I am not buying that hispanic story. However this would account for her lack of English speaking abilities. Beside it appears that Bee has a speech impediment. It seems like it is exceedly difficult for her to pronounce certain words. If this is so and JamesEtta is her mother (supposely), what year was it that Etta migrated across the boarder? There are just too many things that don't add up to me.

    Also I have the 1st and 2nd season of Martin, I keep focusing on Tisha Campbell and she really does look like she can be Tina Knowles' daughter, I was floored. The same eyebrows and everything. You can tell that they like keeping that light skinnedness in the family. Also there is a Christmas episode where that young actress that the Mod said was Tisha Campbell's biological daughter and you can see the connection between Ms Campbell and this child. I often wondered who was that child's parents. Because when you have a child actor you as the viewing public want to know where they came from.

    I remember reading where the moderator said that alot of these intersexed children come from New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Please expound on this a bit? Because again Tisha Campbell hale from New Jersey (allegitally)

    ReplyDelete
  4. YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOURSELF WHEN YOU MESS WITH ANY HISPANIC BECAUSE THEIR FATHERS ARE KNOWN FOR SCREWING THEIR DAUGHTERS.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AND their father selects a "muxe" to have sex with them!

    Beyonce and Tina re sisters! Tina use to design dresses for the parades in Mexico.

    ReplyDelete
  6. No wonder all beyonce's stage customs look very fiestaish! But at what time did JamesEtta migrate here. They seem just like some country azz Black Americans to me. The Knowles women can't speak standard English to save their lives! And where in the heck did they get Solange from. Because her and her sister or cousin Keri Hilson speak much better English than they do.

    ReplyDelete
  7. @5:03 PM

    SOLANGE HANGS AROUND A GIRL THAT LOOK JUST LIKE KERI HILSON!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was thinking the same thing. They were in Italy together. Solange, that girl and another darker skinned sister. I tell you what Solange acts more personable than Bey does. Beyonce has no friends. She has to be very lonely. She is the perfect example of the poor little rich girl.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hermaphrodites are all over the world. The ones in Mexico are called "Muxe". Unfortunately, people are abused every 5 minutes and only a few share the name of their abuser with someone that can help them.

    Beyonce has a speaking problem and we blame the media for selling her colors and creating the problems that exist (photoshop when needed to appease a certain race).

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