"The Secret of the River": a series about the diversity of the Muxe people in Mexico and the path of friendship
A Netflix series about the muxe identity of the Zapotec culture in Oaxaca, Mexico, and the networks of friendship used to overcome violence, premiered.
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"The Secret of the River" is a Mexican series directed by Ernesto Contreras that portrays the muxe identities of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. Recently released on Netflix, the series is an intimate cartography of the margins, where friendship becomes a refuge and dissident identities breathe amidst the cracks of everyday violence. Manuel, a boy played by actress Frida Sofía Cruz, transitions to Sicarú and shows the path toward the desire to exist beyond heteropatriarchal control.
In a context rife with hate speech and violence, this series emerges as a ray of hope. It delves into what it means to be muxe and LGBT. Through its characters and profound dialogues, it portrays the struggles between tradition and dissent, questioning how the Mexican legal system continues to fuel aggression against trans and diverse people.
Who are the muxes?
“We muxes are people from the community of Juchitán, in the Isthmus region of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, who are born with male biology but identify with the female gender. That's how we integrate into our community and assume that place,” Amaranta Gómez Regalado told Presentes.
They are recognized as a "third gender" that challenges binary notions of male and female. Muxe people adopt traditionally feminine roles in their dress and behavior. In Zapotec culture, their existence is considered a blessing for families, although in practice they still face stigma and violence, especially outside their communities of origin
Through its protagonist Manuel, the series portrays the internal and external challenges of accepting an identity that does not fit into heteropatriarchal norms and reflects how the muxe identity can be a source of pride, a mirror of hope, but also of exclusion in a patriarchal society that punishes difference.
Fabric of impunity
The series also exposes how corruption allows violence, such as sexual and domestic violence, to go unpunished, leaving victims unprotected. Instead of protecting, prosecutors and municipal police participate in the criminalization and revictimization of trans and LGBTQ+ people. This reality is reflected in one of the series' most powerful lines: "I'd rather have a dead son than a faggot son," a chilling statement that resonates with the symbolic and physical violence many LGBTQ+ people face within their families.
Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries for the LGBT+ community. In 2023, the organization Letra S documented 43 trans femicides. These represented 65% of the total number of violent deaths against LGBT people in Mexico. Institutional negligence not only normalizes these attacks but also perpetuates a narrative in which the lives of LGBT+ people are disposable.
Activist Sofía Guandulain of Trans Difusión, a trans organization in Oaxaca, told this media outlet that violence against muxe women and LGBT+ people in Oaxaca has increased.
“The situation of violence in Oaxaca is affecting our Muxe sisters and LGBT+ people, and especially trans women. It's not just about hate crimes. It's also structural violence and discrimination that are putting us at risk. And there are no public policies for prevention, nor any guarantee of rights.”.
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