Reflections and conceptions of muxe gender identity in contemporary Mexican society

Abstract: Transgender expressions encounter a variety of difficulties in different socio-geopolitical locations (Lundgren, 2022). Affected by gender-based discrimination, rejection, violence and prejudice, contemporary actions are needed to raise awareness of this phenomenon in order for them to reach opportunities to live under equality, justice, fairness and discrimination-free conditions and equal rights as any other person deserves. Such is the case of muxes, a gender-diverse identity which has existed since pre-Hispanic times, living their gender according to their needs and what fits their role within their particular context. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to analyse what Mexican adults know about muxes and their conceptions and understanding of muxe gender identities. The research methods to study these phenomena involve a qualitative analysis on semi-structured interviews. The interviewees had been recruited under the frame: "adults, young and senior adults / open to questions and new forms of running interviews regardless of the topic to discuss / willing to provide their viewpoints freely." They were met through a videocall platform (Zoom) and were aware of their responses which were typed by the researcher as they spoke. Content analysis of the participants' responses in the form of opinions, concepts or viewpoints resulting from the interviews was also conducted. Key aspects were discovered in the utterances recorded in an editable interview template, that were later analysed through the research questions proposed that represent relevant features and elements to build explanations to the phenomena being studied. The research design had required this qualitative study to be done over 06 semi-structured interviews with Mexican-born participants who had never been interviewed about the theme 'transgender people.' The same interview questions-template design was used on each participant and shared on screen during the online and live-on-screen enquiry method. Gathered viewpoints, concepts and opinions were pivotal to fulfil the aim of this thesis, in which contemporary aspects expressed by the interviewees have been significant to understand the phenomena of muxes having a performative gender and Mexican-born inhabitants playing as the observer.  Keywords Transgender identities, muxe, views, ideologies, gender ideology