Muxes – Mexico's third gender



In Juchitán, Mexico, muxes – children identified as male at birth, but who choose at a young age to be raised as female – are embraced as part of the community. Being muxe is often confused with being transgender, but it is an identity specific to the Oaxaca region and the indigenous Zapoteca culture. Having a muxe person in the family has come to be seen as good luck and even a blessing. But life outside Juchitán is not always easy. 

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For the documentary Muxes, the director Shaul Schwarz reconnects with the characters and culture he photographed extensively from 2002-06 

Key credits
Director: Shaul Schwarz 
Cinematography: Shaul Schwarz, Kike Arnal, Luke Boelitz 
Editors: Armando Croda and Noah Payne-Frank 
Online editor: Ken Macfarlane
Production: Reel Peak Films 
Executive producers for the Guardian: Charlie Phillips and Lindsay Poulton 
Commissioned by the Guardian and The Filmmaker Fund 

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