Graciela Itubide spent almost a decade working in her celebrated Juchitan de las Mujeres series. Iturbide’s photograph Magnolia con Sombrero, Juchitán, México, spotlights Magnolia, who resides in the town of Juchitan, a Oaxacan community that widely accepts the existence of three genders. Magnolia, a Muxe who does not identify as male or female, was photographed by Iturbide in an array of wardrobes and makeup styles, unraveling the constructed idea of gender.

In Juchitán de Zaragoza, a small town on the Istmo de Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca, there is a large population of a third gender known as Muxes. They have been celebrated since pre-colonization times. The broader acceptance of a third gender among the Zapotec people in Oaxaca may be traced to the belief that individuals who identify as Muxes (pronounced mu-shay) are part of the culture and its traditions, not separate from it. They maintain traditional dress, the Zapotec language, and other cultural traditions that are less prevalent among the broader Zapotec community. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is known for its beautiful Tehuana dresses, influenced by Chinese and Southeast Asian silks unavailable to other regions of the Americas. The trade of these garments helped establish a matriarchal society where women were financially independent, contributing to the acceptance of Muxes in the region.