When we talk about gender and its different possibilities, we tend to think of it within the “modernity” and the liberal perspective that came with it. In Mexico, there is a village called Juchitan, in the state of Oaxaca, where a community provides a third gender possibility beyond men and women. There, a group of biological men who wear traditional Mexican dresses but have sexual relationships with heterosexual men are socially accepted and have an active role in the local economy through the celebration of traditional parties (velas). I am talking about Muxes.

Muxes develop activities traditionally given to women; they wear Zapotec dresses (usually embroidered by themselves), sell food and fruits at the market, have sexual intercourse with heterosexual men, and take care of their parents when they age.

Every time I tried to explain Muxes and their conception, the same questions arose (and I cannot deny that I had the same one when I first heard about them). How can we refer to a Muxe? Should we use "he" or "she"? Her or his? To answer them it is important to think "out of the box". Muxe, as a word that came from an indigenous language, has characteristics of its own, it does not stem from a Germanic or Romance language so it cannot be expressed in the binary conception of "he" or "she". The Zapotec vocabulary does not differ between men and women.  

Muxes do not conceive themselves as "homosexuals". Their argument is that homosexuals usually have relationships with homosexuals. Nevertheless, Muxes, like heterosexual men, can have intercourse with them without considering these men homosexuals. Likewise, after watching interviews with the community, you can find out that mothers of the third gender people think Muxes are born this way; it is not something that they chose or a reason why they "become" non-heterosexual.

The context where Muxes live cannot be understood without understanding what Velas are. In Juchitan the Catholic religion predominates, and the community celebrates traditional parties called "Velas" that take place to celebrate some Saints. These parties are led by a mayordomo (butler) who hosts the entire celebration, organizes the regada –a distribution of fruit in a festive car– and finances the food given at the party.

The food, fireworks, music and all kind of festivities that abound in velas are provided, almost in their entirety, by the mayordomo. The Mexican culture stands out in this sense. Velas are not private parties; the whole community is invited so the mayordomo must be ready to receive all the people who wish to come. Being a mayordomo in Juchitan is an honour, and the most prestigious person is not the one who earns more but the one who gives more.

Velas are important because the economy of Juchitan is based on these activities and Muxes have an active role in it. The preparation of food, decorations, music, and other activities involve Muxes, who usually create and make embroideries and sew the dresses that people wear during the velas.  Muxes also host of some of these velas: for 44 years they have had their own Vela every November where a Muxe is crowned as a queen.

Although Muxes are not a traditional form of understanding gender and religion could consider them "sinners", this does not happen in Juchitan. These velas start with a religious ceremony where Muxes are not rejected. The fact that Muxes are accepted by the church and considered by priests to be an important part of the community shows the social relations that persist in community that does not abide by the usual heteronormativity of the Catholic church.

Juchitan is indeed an example of how society accepts and involves a non-binary gender in the activities of a community and how they can coexist with non-visible discrimination. However, Muxes face challenges even in a society that seems to be open.

In the community of Juchitan, Muxes have restrictions in their relationships. Their traditional thinking is that Muxes are born to take care of their parents, so they are not socially allowed to get married or have a long-term sentimental relationship.

The misogynistic perspective prevails. With the purpose of preserving the "virginity" of women, men usually start their sexual life with Muxes. The fact that men can begin their sexual life before women and the attempt to "protect" the female virginity are just examples of how men continue to have more privileges and wider possibilities than women in this community.

The female characteristics do not have the same privilege as the male ones. The labour limitations that Muxes face –established by the society not by the law— places them in spaces considered to be for women and limits their field of action. Muxes generally work in “female spaces” such as the market and the household but generally cannot hold political positions.

Furthermore, the openness of having one more gender possibility, beyond heterosexuality, is limited only for biological men. Lesbians are not approved by the juchiteca society, forbidding women to express their sexual preferences in case they have another one than the heterosexual.

Juchitan still has a long way to go in terms of equality and gender. However, the way they include people with a gendered behaviour that does not fit into the heteronormativity is something that seems hard to find even in more modern cities. Muxes are just another example of how gender is a social construction and how its diverse expressions can be as wide as culture is.

The fact that a traditional Indigenous community in Mexico socially accepts a gender that does not fit into the heteronormativity could make ourselves question if our idea of modernity is truly liberal. Perhaps, it is time to look to other ancestral communities to explore and expand our traditional idea of gender. If this case is happening in Mexico, there should be other countries and regions that could provide us with examples of how many possibilities are outside of the heteronormativity and how they can be part of a society without stigmatization and segregation.

Suggested further reading: Céspedes, P. Muxes at work: between community belonging and heteronormativity in the workplace Gender expressions in the context of a local and globalized economy in Juchitán de Zaragoza, México. Institute of Social Studies. The Hague, The Netherlands. December 2015. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3b4f/de71ddb25a3f8aeaee2e67a41b6e76bd7af4.pdf