▁he ▁was ▁then ▁covered ▁with ▁as hes , ▁and ▁wood ▁being ▁added , ▁the ▁p ile ▁was ▁ign ited ." ▁ ▁Some ▁authors ▁state ▁that ▁these ▁strict ▁laws ▁were ▁not ▁used ▁in ▁practice ▁and ▁that ▁hom osex uals ▁were ▁relatively ▁free . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁they ▁c ite ▁Spanish ▁chron icles ▁that ▁speak ▁of ▁w ides p read ▁sod omy ▁that ▁included ▁children ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 6 ▁years ▁or ▁of ▁children ▁dressed ▁like ▁women ▁to ▁practice ▁prost itution . ▁ ▁The ▁chron icles ▁also ▁speak ▁of ▁religious ▁acts ▁in ▁which ▁sod omy ▁was ▁pract iced . ▁ ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁les bian ism ▁is ▁test ified ▁to ▁by ▁the ▁N ahu at l ▁word ▁" pat la che h ", ▁which ▁design ates ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁car ries ▁out ▁mascul ine ▁activities , ▁including ▁the ▁pen etr ation ▁of ▁other ▁women , ▁as ▁revealed ▁in ▁the ▁General ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁matters ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ▁by ▁Bernard ino ▁de ▁Sah ag ún . ▁ ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁pur itan ism ▁of ▁the ▁Mex ica , ▁the ▁sexual ▁custom s ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁conquer ed ▁by ▁the ▁Az te c ▁Empire ▁varied ▁to ▁a ▁great ▁extent . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁Bern al ▁Dí az ▁del ▁Cast illo ▁speak s ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁among ▁the ▁r uling ▁classes , ▁prost itution ▁of ▁young ▁people , ▁and ▁cross - d ress ing ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁Ver ac ru z . ▁ ▁The ▁y au y os ▁had ▁prost itution ▁houses