Non-binary Gender Identity in Latin America

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Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Carolyn Wysinger, Leslie Sbrocco, Heather Freyer, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Julie Peri, Jennifer Kroot, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Tabitha Parent, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Holly Near, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis

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Nuestra Voz

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.

A challenge among Spanishspeaking nations in Latin America is that the language references all things in a binary gender form: masculine or feminine, since everything is expressed with reference to a binary gender. The history of indigenous populations in Latin America, however, reveals that the notion of a third gender or two-spirit individuals was once widespread, predating Spanish colonialism.

People who identified as having two spirits were given a place within the communities of indigenous people— and still are. In Zapotec cultures of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, for example, muxe refers to an individual who is assigned male at birth but who dresses and behaves in ways that are often associated with women. A population of muxes is celebrated in the Oaxacan town of Istmo de Tehuantepec, where they are an important part of the community. There and at certain other places, muxes work to prepare traditional fiestas; make costumes for baptisms, communions, quiceañeras (15th birthday parties), and weddings; and craft church decorations. They also often dedicate themselves to creating art and handicrafts to sell at markets.

According to Marinella Miano Borruso, in an article entitled “Entre lo local y lo global. Los Muxes en el siglo XXI “ (“Between Local and Global: Muxes in the 21st Century”): “An important difference with urban Western sexual culture is that for Zapotecs, only sexual relationships between a muxe and a heterosexual male have meaning. A large presence of muxe can be found in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Even though some locals still discriminate against muxes, and the muxe community as a whole has less opportunity to study and gain employment, the traditional indigenous division of three genders as a natural and traditional way of being has inspired the LGBT scene around the world. Relations between muxes or between a muxe and a gay man don’t make sense, in fact they are even inconceivable. No muxe would sleep with a man who considers himself gay.”

Muxes nevertheless are often fully involved in the struggle for LGBT rights. According to Ola Synowiec, a muxe from Juchitán named Amaranta Gómez Regalado was a local candidate in the elections for the Mexican Congress. Even though she didn’t get enough votes, she became famously known as the first transsexual candidate of Mexico. As of 2018, she was involved in politics, especially in campaigns against homophobia and for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Synowiec shared: “For the Mexican and international gay community, Juchitán has become a queer paradise and a symbol of tolerance. Even though some locals still discriminate against muxes, and the muxe community as a whole has less opportunity to study and gain employment, the traditional indigenous division of three genders as a natural and traditional way of being has inspired the LGBT scene around the world—and muxes are becoming aware of it.”

Mexico City was the first Latin American capital to legalize samesex marriage, and according to Mexico’s laws, recognition of marriages in one city or county in the country must be recognized nationwide. Although Mexico has this impressive history as well as the presence of muxe culture, the country sadly has one of the highest rates of crimes globally against the LGBT community, with an estimated 202 people being murdered due to homophobia between January 2014 and December 2016 alone.

According to a report prepared for the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by Heartland Alliance (2012), between 3.8% and 4.6% of refugee and asylum seekers are LGBT. The San Francisco Asylum Office estimates that 5% to 10% of claims filed in that office are based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The lack of uniformity of tolerance and acceptance of LGBT people in the U.S. makes detailed estimates very difficult. Many LGBT refugees and those seeking asylum often feel vulnerable even in our own systems where U.S. processing representatives may assume LGBTs can return to their country, provided they relocate within their country, become discreet, and avoid being targets of violence.

As they apply for proper documentation, there are challenges in accessing public assistance, healthcare, housing, employment, and social support systems for their well-being and survival. According to the Heartland Alliance report in 2012, more than 90% of the acts of violence are directed toward gay males. Little is known about lesbians experiencing violence.

The dialogue about transgender issues is quite complex. It appears we have much to learn from the indigenous cultures in Latin America. How they incorporate the concept of a third gender as a social gender of two spirits is a valuable framework for us to consider when we contemplate the variety of gender expressions.

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an awardwinning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.

Thousands of drag personalities, drag supporters, transgender community leaders, and allies joined for a large march and rally on Saturday, April 8, 2023. Presented by the People’s March, Oasis, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the SF Democratic Party, and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the march began at San Francisco City Hall and continued to Union Square, where the loud and lively rally took place.

The demonstration was held in response to the growing opposition to drag and trans rights. As the organizers shared: “Our stories are being banned from public libraries, our trans kids and their parents are being criminalized, and any acknowledgment of our existence is being outlawed in classrooms.”

Speakers and key supporters included Landa Lakes, Sister Roma, Alex U. Inn, Juanita MORE!, Honey Mahogany, D’Arcy Drollinger, Misty Blue, Queen Mother Nicole the Great, Kochina Rude, Mudd the Two-Spirit, Marcel Pardo Ariza, Reigning Men, Oliver Branch, Jota Mercury, Tina V. Aguirre, Santana Tapia, Olga Talamante, Momma s Boyz, Joseph C. Rocha, Carolyn Wysinger, Joan Jett Blakk, Lotus Boy, Florida Man, Sophia Andary, Shane Zal-Diva, Drag Story Hour, Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, and the Transgender District.

Elected officials participating included State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Matt Dorsey, and other civic leaders. A series of drag performances were included in addition to speeches and rallying cries. Encouraging “love not hate” was a prevailing theme in comments and imagery.

Tributes to drag icon Heklina, whose recent death moved the community, were prominent in signs carried by marchers. Heklina’s friend and business partner, D’Arcy Drollinger, reflected the icon’s characteristic image in fashion, makeup, and hair. Drollinger said, in part, “This is a time to sparkle brighter. Be louder. Be more fabulous. If you live your life a little more fabulous, you inspire other people to be more fabulous just by your existence. And if everyone’s a little more fabulous, there’s that much less room in their heart, in their minds, for hate and prejudice. So don’t stop sparkling.”

Sister Roma added, “Drag is not a crime. Trans rights are human rights.”

Video of the march and rally from Paul Sterling: https://tinyurl.com/4sfca3xc

‘Let the Good Times Roll’: The Kawasaki Penis Festival!

6/26 and Beyond

John Lewis

When most Americans hear the word “Kawasaki,” they likely think of the renowned motorcycle company, with its famous advertising slogan: “Let the Good Times Roll.” But every year on the first Sunday in April in the Japanese city of Kawasaki, tens of thousands of people from Japan and around the world give new meaning to the phrase when they come together to celebrate the Shinto festival Kanamara Matsuri, also known as the “Festival of the Steel Phallus”— or simply the Penis Festival!

I was lucky to be able to attend this unabashed and uninhibited celebration of sexuality (in particular the male sex organ) a couple of weeks ago. It was delightful. Absolutely everyone was welcome, and people of all ages and from all walks of life came. Indeed, an announcer at the beginning of the event explicitly proclaimed over the loudspeaker that all genders were welcome at the festival. Steeped in tradition, yet thoroughly modern; both solemn and irreverent; and powerfully primal, while uproariously funny—the festival is devoted to celebrating and protecting all that is good and sacred in sexuality and to promoting health, safety, and wellbeing, all in an atmosphere of pure joy, free of shame.

The festival has ancient roots, which purportedly lie in the legend of a demon spirit who possessed a woman, hid inside her vagina, and then bit off her husband’s penis when he attempted to have sex with her. A clever blacksmith created an iron phallus to trick the demon. When the demon chomped down on it, its teeth cracked to pieces and it quickly fled, never to be seen again.

The ancient Kanayama Shinto Shrine, where the festival is based, enshrines a large iron phallus and multiple smaller ones, and is dedicated to fertility, ease in childbirth, harmonious marital relationships, and protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Sex workers have traditionally sought support and protection at the shrine. Today, proceeds from the festival are reported to go to HIV/AIDS research.

The main attraction of the festival is the parade, which began this year, as always, when an old Shinto priest, dressed in beautiful and colorful traditional regalia, reverentially stepped out from the shrine gate, followed by a few selected honorees apparently dressed as the demon and other char- acters from the legend. The crowd then roared with excitement when three large mikoshi, or portable shrines containing phalluses, emerged one after the other from the shrine, carried on the shoulders of numerous devotees, who then paraded them through the streets of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Two of the mikoshi are traditional: the first is an erect iron phallus attached to a long, heavy wood board, and the second is an iron phallus standing in front of a thick portion of a pine tree trunk, housed in a traditionally decorated miniature Shinto shrine. The third and most flashy is known as “Elizabeth Mikoshi” and sports an enormous pink phallus. It is carried throughout the parade by dynamic drag queens. The indefatigable parade marchers enthusiastically wound through the streets for hours. They often chanted exuberantly, sometimes did dances with the phallic shrines, and at other times played teeter-totter with them. On some occasions, certain members of a shrine contingent would push down hard on the wood frame supporting the phallus, while their comrades below were tasked with ensuring it didn’t touch the ground. The act appeared to harness energy from within them as they then continued along the parade route in ecstatic exuberance. Their exhilaration was infectious.

A well-attended penis festival took place on the shrine grounds after the parade, with colorful phallic candles, bright pink penis headdresses, and other phallic-shaped paraphernalia for sale. Many devotees obtained ritual stamps with original calligraphy and phallic artwork in their goshuincho or stamp/seal books in which they record their pilgrimages to various shrines and temples across the country. Other attendees hung traditional ema or small wood plaques on which they wrote their prayers and wishes for smooth childbirth and healthy babies. The Japanese feminist artist Vert created a colorfully expressionist painting of a climaxing phallus. One of her works is part of the permanent collection of the shrine.

A striking element of the festival was its liberating matter-of-factness. Parents posed for selfies with their small chil- dren licking phallic lollipops in front of large phallic statutes. No one batted an eye. Nor were there any protests or controversy surrounding the festival in refreshing contrast to what is going on in the U.S. in states like Florida and Tennessee, among others. It was all good clean fun. I left feeling renewed, refreshed, and full of joy. Indeed, Kawasaki let the good times roll!

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

By Donna Sachet

What a thrill to attend Opening Game of the SF Giants at Oracle Park on April 7 as the guest of our friend Michelle Jester! Not only did we marvel at this beautiful ballpark, the gorgeous view, and the accomplished team we call our own, but we had a chance to catch up, probably for the first time since the COVID pandemic hit. All our lives have been changed by this unexpected interruption, requiring some serious reflection, reevaluation of priorities, and thoughtful appreciation for those we count as friends. There were very few topics we did not cover while munching on comfort foods, downing wine and beer, and cheering on our SF Giants, surrounded by thousands of sports fans, San Francisco supporters, and just plain folks. The team may not have won the game, but we left with winning smiles in appreciation of our friendship.

Of course, every recent event was clouded by the tragic news of the death of Heklina. We shared our personal thoughts in the last issue, along with several evocative photos, but her impact on our community, the city, and places farther away will be felt for years to come. And so it was appropriate that the Drag Up! Fight Back! March & Rally on Saturday, April 8, scheduled in response to the hateful legislation being passed across the nation in various states, also served as a tribute to the iconic Heklina. We joined hundreds of demonstrators at City Hall, including organizers Alex U. Inn, Sister Roma, D’Arcy Drollinger, Honey Mahogany, and Juanita MORE! and State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Matt Dorsey, senior statesman Tom Ammiano, and so many other leaders within the LGBTQ+ Community, for an old-fashioned, grassroots political action.

Hundreds more joined us as the march took off down Market Street to Union Square, where speeches, drag entertainment, and overflowing emotion centered on the tremendous strides we have made as a community and how fiercely we are now being bombarded by opposition. Never have we heard Queen Mother Nicole Murray-Ramirez speak with such authority, historic relevance, and wit; no wonder she spoke at each of the Marches on Washington and today heads up the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ organization on the continent, the International Court System. As we have written elsewhere, the current attack on drag and transgender individuals is nothing more than a cheap blow against the most easily identifiable and most vulnerable among us. We can’t let this ploy split us apart!

The following day, we turned en masse into a horde of celebrants at Easter in the Park with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Dolores Park. It was time to turn our attention away from our detractors and towards our own beautifully diverse San Francisco family, as the sun shone bright, the costumes spilled onto the lawn, and smiles and laughter were everywhere. Entertainment on stage, the Sainting of local heroes, and the Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary contests kept the throng engaged. Whether you arrived early and stayed late or simply visited for an hour or two, you left invigorated and reaffirmed as the resilient community we have always been.

The following weekend was a whirlwind of events, starting with Latrice Royale’s Life Goes On at Bimbo’s in North Beach. Suzan Revah joined us for a night of perfectly timed moments and amazing connections. As our car pulled up, we glimpsed the star of the show lingering at the Stage Door with her partner and our friend Mahlae Balenciaga who was opening the show. Latrice and her partner Christopher Hamblin couldn’t have been more gracious and welcoming.

Once inside, we were immediately swept back to a bygone era in this richly decorated club that goes back three generations with thickly carpeted aisles, cabaret-style seating, ballroom lighting, and a large raised stage. The usher directed us to our section with open seating, and within seconds, Suzan located a festive foursome with two vacant seats. The house lights dimmed and Mahlae displayed her gorgeous figure, boundless energy, and considerable talents.

Then, she was joined by instrumentalists on piano (the aforementioned Christopher), bass, and percussion, and Latrice made her grand entrance. Not being a fiercely loyal fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, we really didn’t know what to expect, but we were completely won over by the heart, passion, and indomitable attitude of Miss Royale! The show traced her life with personal stories, video clips, and thematic songs, both sung and skillfully lip-synced, as a parade of fabulous gowns dazzled the audience. She readily addressed the current drag attacks with candid, thoughtful remarks and demonstrated a learned confidence, born of adversity and determination. What a show!

Saturday started with Mark Rhoades’ screening of The Girl From 7th Avenue: Pat Cleveland and the Runway Revolution at the Museum of the African Diaspora. The film’s directors, Antonio Contreras and Genho Aviance, were on hand and local fashion designer Kevan Hall led an interview and Q&A with legendary model Pat Cleveland. For anyone with even a middling interest in fashion and/or knowledge of the historic Battle of Versailles fashion show, this was pure gold! Pat’s richly told stories of that event and her relationships with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Andy Warhol, Halston,

(continued on page 18)

Saturday, April 22

Imperial Investiture: An Enchanted Evening

Welcome Reigning Emperor Michael Anthony Chua & Empress Cameron Stiehl-Munro

Entertainment, recognition, new beginnings DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street

4–8 pm $35 & up www.imperialcouncilsf.org

Saturday, April 22

Crescendo

SF Gay Men’s Chorus annual gala

Honoring Nancy Pelosi, London Breed, Brian Boitano, Greg Sarris

Cocktail hour, dinner, entertainment, awards Four Seasons Hotel, 757 Market Street 5 pm $450 & up www.sfgmc.org

Friday, April 28

Divas & Drinks @ The Academy: Celebrating Frameline47 San Francisco Bay Times-produced event benefiting Frameline Emcee Donna Sachet, DJ Page Hodel, Bacardí specialty drinks, and much more The Academy SF, 2166 Market Street 6–10 pm $15 https://tinyurl.com/4sk6m4rs

Saturday, April 29

Show of Hope

SF Community Health Center’s annual gala

Honoring Nancy Pelosi & Cecilia Chung Cocktails, dinner, program Emcee Reggie Aqui, Headline performer Martha Wash Hyatt Regency SF, 5 Embarcadero Center $350 & up www.sfcommunityhealth.org and so many others kept the audience enthralled. Thank you, Mark Rhoades, for bringing these people together for a unique San Francisco moment!

We then dashed to The Café for Krewe de Kinque’s 20th annual Bal Masque, a Mardi Gras decorated and 415-themed party and fundraiser for Ukrainian relief through the Rainbow World Fund. Celebrity Grand Marshal Tory Teasley sang a crowd-pleasing number and then joined the Second Line Parade, led by King Mark Hankins & Queen Tawdry Hepburnn. Entertainers then took us on a musical tour of San Francisco neighborhoods, starting with Connie Champagne as Judy Garland singing the classic “San Francisco” and followed by solo and group member numbers, including Carly Ozard’s vocals, Mark Paladini’s Village People tribute, Kippy Marks’ violin virtuosity, Leandro Gonzales’ amazing rope mastery, and Vivianne Vixen’s high energy finale. A silent auction, raffle prizes, Jell-O shots, and general revelry added to the party.

At the conclusion, the current King & Queen stepped down and Krewe de Kinque crowned their new King XX Robert Tucker and Queen XX Moxie Penn. New Orleans has nothing on San Francisco when Krewe de Kinque Founder Gary Virginia and these party people throw a fundraiser!