Muxes: between globalization and identity Impacts of new female models on gender performance

Proceedings of ‏The 5th International Conference on New Findings On Humanities and Social Sciences

Year: 2020

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/5th.hsconf.2020.11.103

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Muxes: between globalization and identity Impacts of new female models on gender performance

Ilaria Sartini

ABSTRACT: 

Mass media and globalization allow ideas to travel to every corner of the world. When other people’s ideas meet traditional cultures, in some cases they can result in cultural syncretism or in a resemantization of original practices. The images of hyperfemenized female bodies, broadcasted as successful women role models spreading from the West to the whole world, convey a subliminal heteronormative message and an exacerbated body “womanliness” normalized by beauty canons. These images have an impact on the Zapotec identities and bodies of the muxe (“third gender”) in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. More and more young muxes now want to change sex and «be real women». This has led to an increase in homosexual prostitution, in order to obtain the money to finance the operation, and to an increase in homophobia by both men and women in the Zapotec communities. By outlining some concepts such as sexuality, heteronormativity, globalization and introducing the figure of muxe in the Zapotec culture, the article aims at explaining the passage from muxe to transgender and its consequences in terms of gender performance and transphobia.

Keywords: Gender identity; Globalization; Muxe; Transgender; Zapotec culture