Madrid, Spain – Lukas Avendaรฑo, a muxe from an indigenous community in Mexico, is bringing theโ vibrant cultural tradition of his people to Spain โขthrough โa groundbreaking theatrical performance. Muxes โขare โขmen who embody both masculine andโข feminine traits, traditionally assuming rolesโฃ typically associated with women within their communitiesโ – a practice deeply rooted in Zapotec culture.
Avendaรฑo, a โchoreographer, dancer, and community leader, exemplifies this tradition. He manages drinking water โขfor his community of roughly 250โฃ families, whereโ five muxes reside, and teaches โdance at the localโค primary school, โขintegrating indigenous culture, identity, and musical traditions into his curriculum. He also cares for his 70-year-old mother, being the only one of his five siblings to โlive nearby.
Theโ arrival of a muxe โข in the Spanish cultural landscape is โคsignificant, offering a unique perspective on gender, sexuality, โฃand ethnicity. Mexican theatre researcher Antonio Prieto โขStambaugh describes Avendaรฑo as the only Mexican performerโฃ approaching his work with an “explosive โขconfluence of gender, โsexuality and ethnicity.”
Historically, โค muxes have beenโค integral to the โคsocial fabric โฃof their communities, contributing to education and embodyingโ a spirit of freedom and acceptance. “If a man,a woman or a muxe are collaboratingโ inโข their community,they are all well accepted,” Avendaรฑo explains.”The muxes have โฃhistorically contributed toโ the education of โขsocietyโข and are a โขpresentation โof freedom, that each person lives and loves as they wish.”
Avendaรฑo’s visit to Spain also serves as a platform to advocate for issues facing his homeland,including โขthe โsearch for missing persons,the protection โofโค communal lands from exploitation by large corporations,andโ the cessation of open-pit โฃminingโ concessions to foreign companies. He is aโค vocal opponent โคof private โขland ownershipโ and accumulation, emphasizing โthe โฃimportance of social justice and respect for indigenous rights.
