The Zapotec people of southern Mexico have long recognized more than two genders. In Juchitán, in the state of Oaxaca, a person born with a male body who lives a feminine identity and role in the community is called muxe. This is not a "third gender" in the Western sense, but a distinct identity, rooted in Zapotec culture, that predates and exceeds any category borrowed from the outside world.

Elvis Guerra was born in Juchitán in 1993. She is a muxe poet, translator, activist and artisan. Her three poetry collections, including Ramonera and Muxitán, are a true showcase of her raw, political art, and have taken Elvis around the world to speak about the lived realities of being muxe.

We met Elvis at the FOLIO literary festival in Óbidos, Portugal, for an inspiring conversation.

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