Mexican weaver uses loom for LGBTQ+ resistance
MEXICO CITY, April 22: Xaneri Merino, a transgender Indigenous woman from San Pedro Jicayan in southern Mexico, has reclaimed the traditional backstrap loom as both a cultural practice and a form of LGBTQ+ resistance.
Born male in a community where weaving is traditionally restricted to women, she was expected to follow male roles such as farming and cattle rearing. However, her grandmother secretly taught her the ancestral craft of weaving from the age of 13, passing on knowledge rooted in Mixtec and Zapotec traditions and a deep respect for nature.
Despite this early mentorship, Merino faced punishment at age 15 after being caught weaving in public. Community leaders publicly reprimanded her, and she was forced to perform church duties as punishment. The experience pushed her away from weaving for years, as she associated the craft with shame and exclusion.
Later, after moving to Mexico City for higher education in communications and cultural studies, she reconnected with weaving through academic perspectives on Indigenous resistance and identity.
This helped her see the loom not only as a craft but also as a tool for storytelling, healing, and activism.
Now identifying as a “muxe,” a term from Zapotec culture that represents a third gender, Merino teaches weaving workshops for LGBTQ+ people.
She describes the loom as a space for self-expression, where emotions and personal experiences are woven into fabric. Her students echo this sentiment, describing her classes as safe spaces for identity and creativity.
Merino continues to practice traditional methods, including using natural dyes and returning to her coastal community to source materials.
Despite environmental challenges and declining resources, she remains committed to preserving Indigenous techniques.
Her work has inspired others in her hometown, where several transgender individuals and men have begun weaving, challenging long-held gender norms.
Through her craft, Merino has turned a once-punished act into a symbol of resilience, cultural survival, and LGBTQ+ visibility within Indigenous traditions. (AP)
