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Muxes

Angelo Martinez Linares, 24, in Juchitán, Mexico.

In Juchitán in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, the world is not divided simply into gay and straight, the locals make room for a third category, whom they call “muxes”.

Muxes are 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.

They are considered hard workers that will forever stay by their mothers side, taking care for their families operating as mothers without children of their own.

Not all muxes express they 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.

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Muxes_Rodrigo_Cruz_14.jpg
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Rodrigo Cruz for Neon Magazine
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Muxes
Angelo Martinez Linares, 24, in Juchitán, Mexico.<br /> <br /> In Juchitán in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, the world is not divided simply into gay and straight, the locals make room for a third category, whom they call “muxes”.<br /> <br /> Muxes are 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.<br /> <br /> They are considered hard workers that will forever stay by their mothers side, taking care for their families operating as mothers without children of their own.<br /> <br /> Not all muxes express they 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.
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