Fa’afafine
In Samoa, androphilic males (males sexually attracted to men) are referred to as fa’afafine. Translated into English, fa’afafine means “in the manner of a woman.” Most self-identify as fa’afafine, not as men.[1]
There are myths outside of Samoa that Fa'afafine are selected to be raised as females when a family does not have enough sons,[2][3] however evidence shows they are recognised for their feminine behavior early in their lives. Evidence indicates that Fa'afafine are the equivalent to feminine androphilic men in the west (typically these are gay men in western culture).[1]
Gender roles[change | change source]
They take on the role of both male and female in the society e.g. teaching, construction and also domestic work. They tend to have sexual intercourse with masculine males, however rarely with another fa’afafine.[1]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vasey, Paul L.; Bartlett, Nancy H. (2007). "What can the Samoan "Fa'afafine" teach us about the Western concept of gender identity disorder in childhood?" (PDF). Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. 50 (4): 481–490. doi:10.1353/pbm.2007.0056. ISSN 0031-5982. PMID 17951883. S2CID 37437172.
- ↑ "68 - Pioneers Series: Cultural Misunderstandings with Paul L. Vasey - Gender: A Wider Lens Podcast". gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
- ↑ "Fa'afafine claim is a myth, it's offensive". Yuki Kihara. Retrieved 2022-07-13.