The Muxe of Juchitan

JUCHITAN, MEXICO- OCTOBER 1: Maria Guerra Aquino, 40 years old, and Estrella Vasquz Guerra, 20 years old. In the sleeepy southern Mexican fishing town of Juchitan of roughly 85,000 people and its ancient Zapotekan culture, no one dares wonders about men in women's clothing. In Juchitan, giving birth to a girl is celebrated whereas giving birth to a boy produces condolences. In this matriarchal society, female figures are strong and revered in the community and so many Zapotekan mothers choose one or more sons at a very young age, sometimes at 3 or 4 years old, to be raised as girls. The mothers don't call their chosen sons transvestites. They call them, in the Zapotekan language, "Musches", which means neither men nor women but something better. (Photo by Shaul Schwarz/ Getty Images)