Crossdressing in Ancient and Modern Cultures

Hello, lovelies! Have you ever wondered when or where crossdressing started? Among those like me that this lifestyle comes as naturally as breathing, it is easy to wonder where did it begin? Was there ever a society where crossdressing members fulfilled an important role within it? Is there still any?

The majority of the world’s culture follows a long-time tradition with well-defined roles according to sex. Despite this changing for the better in recent years, one can’t help to think if there was a more inclusive society. Keep reading if you want to know what were the cultures that celebrated crossdresser individuals and which still inhabit the Earth!

1. Crossdressing in Ancient Culture

As you might’ve guessed, crossdressing is not new in history. There were many cultures with crossdressers among them. Not only were they accepted by their peers, but rather had important roles and were respected for that. There is a previous post in our blog that had many historical fun facts and stories. It may serve as well as an intro for this one. Check it out here! Crossdressing and members living between the duality of both sexes have existed as long as humans themselves. Let’s see some of the important historical cultures that had a far different view on genders than we have in this era.

2. The Galli in Ancient Greece

The Galli were crossdressing/trans priestesses that worshiped Cybele, the mother goddess. Cybele is one of the oldest deities in human history, with archeological findings that date back six thousand years BC! The cult of this goddess began in the Anatolia region, a peninsula located in Asia Minor. Although no record explains the nature of this deity, we learned much from the transcriptions of later cultures that adopted Cybele. Greeks and Romans alike, within the most notorious, adopted her within their pantheons. They also called her Mātēr (“Mother”) or Magna Mater (“Great Mother”), respectively. What we know of Cybelle is that their priestesses were often eunuchs and all presented themselves as females. They were oracles and respected among the community. This goddess was worshiped for millennia, always representing and celebrating the power of femininity.

3. Muxes in Zapotec Civilization

The indigenous Zapotec culture dates back to the European sailors who discovered America. Native to the now region of Oaxaca in Mexico, archeological discoveries situate them back as two-and-a-half thousand years ago! They were responsible for the first major city on the continent. Worth noting that they were a matriarchal society. While the principal “male” roles were politics and hunting, “female” roles included business, economy, and taking care of the family. Just like muxes, there was the female counterpart called nguiu.

These gender divisions were neither inferior nor superior to others. This society didn’t discriminate, and everyone was treated as equal. Muxes even had families with women or men. An incredibly open-minded vision that makes you wonder how we got here like this. This ancient culture is still alive today among its descendants in their native region. Where it is that six percent of the people living there are muxes! Visiting Oaxaca and discovering this amazing culture should be in the plans of every crossdresser around the world! Just be careful with the hot sauce!

Kathoeys in Thailand

Very well known and divulged by the media, the kathoeys are part of Thailand’s vast history. Also known as lady-boys, I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about. If not, this community can fit well within intersex/trans women terminology. Born male, the kathoeys live under the western traditional and womanly roles. Very often identifying themselves as women, they don’t have legal recognition. Despite being treated as males, even for the military’s reserve, there is a huge community living everywhere in Thailand. Even in this sad and hypocritical environment, you can see them thriving in many different jobs. There is even a beauty pageant exclusively for kathoeys that’s been held annually since 1998. Miss Tiffany’s Universe airings have an increasing audience each year and its purpose is to promote rights and equality before the law. Politics aside, kathoeys are a very kind and open community that makes you want to visit Thailand!

The Hijra in South Asia

The Hijra community is native to the Indian subcontinent and their presence in culture is previous to the Kama-sutra. As you might well know, the Kama-sutra is an ancient book that depicts sexual positions as a part of expressing the fine art of life and love. Dating back to the third century, among these pages we can find references to the Hijra. This community is formed by members that can be otherwise described as asexual, intersex, crossdressers, or transsexuals. They still exist in many parts of the region and some live in communities led by a guru. There are some countries, such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, that recognize Hijra as the third sex. Other nations of the region don’t recognize them as such, even though big Hijra communities are living within their borders. It’s such a proud and well-established community that they even have their own secret language!

As you can see, crossdressing, transsexualism, and gender-fluidity are nothing but new. The cultures and communities mentioned above are only a few of the many that held femininity in a higher place throughout history. It is interesting to think about the fact of how evolved some cultures were, and how many values disappeared along the way. If you enjoyed this article and would like to know more about these and other communities, let me know in the comments. Hope to see you all soon!!

Written by Tina Munova.