Fa'afafine: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Auckland pride parade 2016 37.jpg|thumb|Fa'afafine banner at the Auckland pride parade in 2016.]] | |||
[[File:SOFIAS_LOGO.jpg|thumb|The Society of Fa'afafine in American Samoa official logo created and designed by Ammon Fepuleai. 2014.]] | [[File:SOFIAS_LOGO.jpg|thumb|The Society of Fa'afafine in American Samoa official logo created and designed by Ammon Fepuleai. 2014.]] | ||
'''Fa'afafine''' are people who identify themselves as having a [[third gender|third-gender]] or [[nonbinary]] role in Samoa, American Samoa and the Samoan diaspora. A recognized [[gender identity]]/[[gender role]] in traditional Samoan society, and an integral part of Samoan culture, ''fa'afafine'' are assigned male at birth, and explicitly embody both masculine and feminine gender traits in a way unique to Polynesia. Their behaviour typically ranges from extravagantly feminine to conventionally masculine.<ref name=bartlett>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1007/s10508-006-9055-1| pmid = 16909317| title = A Retrospective Study of Childhood Gender-Atypical Behavior in Samoan Fa'afafine| journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior| volume = 35| issue = 6| pages = 659–66| year = 2006| last1 = Bartlett | first1 = N. H. | last2 = Vasey | first2 = P. L. }}</ref> | |||
A prominent Western theory, among the many anthropological theories about Samoans, was that if a family had more boys than girls or not enough girls to help with women's duties about the house, male children would be chosen to be raised as ''fa'afafine'';<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/ra/pacific/people/hazy.htm|title=Charting the Pacific – Fa'afafine – Samoan boys brought up as girls|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=2016-06-20}}</ref> although this theory has been refuted by studies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7|title=Ia e Ola Malamalama i lou Faasinomaga, A comparative Study of the Faafafine of Samoa and the Whakawahine of Aotearoa-New Zealand|date=2013}}</ref> | |||
It has been estimated that 1–5% of Samoans identify as ''fa'afafine''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37227803|title=Samoa's 'third gender' beauty pageant|first=Yvette|last=Tan|date=September 1, 2016|via=www.bbc.com}}</ref> Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand estimates that there are 500 ''fa’afafine'' in Samoa, and the same number in the Samoan diaspora in New Zealand;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/160363|title=3. – Gender diversity – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand|first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last=Taonga|website=teara.govt.nz}}</ref> while according to SBS news, there are up to 3000 ''fa'afafine'' currently living in Samoa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/07/16/faafafine-boys-raised-be-girls| title=Fa'afafine: Boys Raised to be Girls ten minute news video about faafafine in Australia|date=26 August 2013| }}</ref> | |||
== History and terminology == | |||
The word ''fa'afafine'' includes the causative prefix ''fa'a–'', meaning "in the manner of", and the word ''fafine'', meaning "woman".<ref>Milner, G.B. 1966. Samoan-English Dictionary. "Fa'afafine" entry pg. 52 under "Fafine"</ref> It is cognate with linguistically related words or social categories in other Polynesian languages, such as the Tongan ''fakaleiti'' (also ''fakafefine''), the Cook Islands Māori ''akava'ine'', the Hawaiian and Tahitian ''[[māhū]]'' (literally ''in the middle''), the Māori ''whakawāhine'', the Niuean ''fiafifine'' (also ''fakafifine''), the Tokelauan ''fakafāfine'', the Tuvaluan ''pinapinaaine'', the Gilbertese ''binabinaaine'', and the Wallisian ''fakafafine''. | |||
The FTM or female-to-male equivalent in Samoa are known variously as ''fa'atane'', ''fa'atama'', and ''fafatama''. Ultimately, Western terms like gay, transgender, FTM, etc., do not align exactly with Samoan terms like fa'afafine, fa'atane, etc., which have meaning within the fa'asamoa traditional cultural systems of Samoa. | |||
The Samoan slang word ''mala'' (or "devastation" in the Samoan language) is in less frequent use for fa'afafine, as it arose from fundamentalist influenced homophobia and transphobia.<ref>{{Cite journal | title = Fa'afafine Notes: On Tagaloa, Jesus, and Nafanua| journal = Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature. Tucson: University of Arizona Press| pages = 81–94| year = 2011| last1 = Taulapapa McMullin | first1 = Dan}}</ref> | |||
The history of fa'afafine, through the elisions of colonialism, is difficult to trace. Nafanua, the female warrior and chief of Samoan early history, is often held up as an icon of fa'afafine and fa'atane. In Dolgoy's recorded interviews with fa'afafine from the 1980s, we know that Johnny Fruitcake was a popular fa'afafine during the American military occupation of Samoa in World War II, and that Anita (Tony Schwenke) was the founder of Hollywood, a tailoring shop and house of refuge for fa'afafine in Apia in the 1960s–1970s.<ref>{{Cite book | title = The Search for Recognition and Social Movement Emergence, Towards an Understanding of the Transformation of the Faafafine of Samoa. University of Alberta.| year = 2000| last1 = Dolgoy | first1 = Reevan }}</ref> Beginning in the 1980s, through the Samoan diaspora, fa'afafine began having a presence in contemporary global cultures. | |||
== Role in Samoan society == | |||
Fa'afafine are known for their hard work and dedication to the family, in the Samoan tradition of ''tautua'' or service to family. Ideas of the family in Samoa and Polynesia are markedly different from Western constructions, and include all the members of a ''sa'', or communal family within the ''fa'amatai'' family systems.<ref>Saleimoa Vaai, Samoa Faa-matai and the Rule of Law (Apia: The National University of Samoa Le Papa-I-Galagala, 1999).</ref> | |||
Fa'afafine, as a third gender, have sexual relationships almost exclusively with men who do not identify as fa'afafine, and sometimes with women, but apparently not with other fa'afafine.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.gendercentre.org.au/resources/polare-archive/archived-articles/like-a-lady-in-polynesia.htm |title=Like a Lady in Polynesia |work=Polare magazine |publisher=gendercentre.org.au |first=Roberta |last=Perkins |date=March 1994 |edition=3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927132628/http://www.gendercentre.org.au/resources/polare-archive/archived-articles/like-a-lady-in-polynesia.htm |archive-date=2013-09-27 |df= }}</ref> This third gender is so well-accepted in Samoan culture that most Samoans state that they have friendship relationships with at least one fa'afafine; it is, however, not totally accepted in other communities, such as some Catholic groups and traditional leaders. Traditionally, fa'afafine follow the training of the women's daily work in an ''Aiga'' (Samoan family group).<ref name=bartlett/><ref>Danielsson, B., T. Danielsson, and R. Pierson. 1978. Polynesia's third sex: The gay life starts in the kitchen. Pacific Islands Monthly 49:10–13.</ref> | |||
Fa'afafine state that they "loved" engaging in feminine activities as children, such as playing with female peers, playing female characters during role play, dressing up in female clothes, and playing with female gender-typical toys. This is in contrast to women who stated that they merely "liked" engaging in those activities as children. Some fa'afafine recall believing they were girls in childhood, but knew better as adults. In Samoa, there is very seldom ridicule or displeasure towards a biologically male child who states that they are a girl. For instance, one study showed only a minority of parents (20 per cent) tried to stop their fa'afafine children from engaging in feminine behavior. Being pushed into the male gender role is upsetting to many fa'afafine. A significant number stated that they "hated" masculine play, such as rough games and sports, even more than females did as children.<ref name=bartlett/> | |||
==Society of Fa'afafine in American Samoa and Samoa Fa'afafine Association== | |||
The Society of Fa'afafine in American Samoa or "Le Sosaiete o Fa’afafine i Amerika Samoa" (S.O.F.I.A.S) is an organization designed to foster collaboration between the fa'afafine and the LGBTQI+ communities in both American Samoa, the Asia Pacific region, and the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Shevon Kaio Matai passes away|url = http://www.samoanews.com/content/en/shevon-kaio-matai-passes-away|website = Samoa News|access-date = 2015-06-06|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150530072617/http://www.samoanews.com/content/en/shevon-kaio-matai-passes-away|archive-date = 2015-05-30|df = }}</ref> SOFIAS describes itself as an organization dedicated to balancing both Samoan values with western influences and aims to promote a positive attitude toward the Samoan fa'afafine community. Now known as ''Miss SOFIAS'', the Miss Island Queen Pageant has been held in Pago Pago, American Samoa, since 1979. | |||
The Samoan Faafafine Association Incorporated (S.F.A.) of independent Samoa, based in Apia, has been active for over a decade. It works closely with government, local churches, and youth organizations, supporting community projects for the faafafine community, but also for elders and youth in Samoa. SFA has been active on the international level working with the United Nations and Pacific regional NGO's, on behalf of the fa'afafine, transgender, and LGBT communities of the Pacific Islands. They also been active working with media developing a more equitable representation of fa'afafine by media.<ref>{{Cite web|title =Fa’afafine want fair and inclusive reporting|url =http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/31_03_2017/local/18512/Fa%E2%80%99afafine-want-fair-and-inclusive-reporting.htm|website = Samoa Observer}}</ref> | |||
There has been legislative activity initiated in Samoa by the Samoa Faafafine Association, with faafafine lawyers Alex Su'a and Phineas Hartson Matautia, on issues of LGBT rights in Samoa. Their efforts to repeal homophobic and transphobic laws inherited from the British and New Zealand colonial administrations have met with partial success.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paclii.org/journals/fJSPL/vol09no1/5.shtml| title=Discriminating on the Grounds of Status: Criminal Law and Fa'afafine and Fakaleiti in the South Pacific | journal = Journal of South Pacific Law | year = 2009| last1 = Su'a | first1 = Alex| last2 = Farran | first2 = Sue}}</ref> Marriage equality for fa'afafine is still unlawful in Samoa; and despite marriage equality legalization in the U.S., it is still not recognized in the US Territory of American Samoa. | |||
==Notable fa'afafine== | |||
* [[Edward Cowley]] aka "Buckwheat" – a drag performer and television personality based in [[Auckland]], worked with New Zealand AIDS Foundation, champion bodybuilder. | |||
* [[Shigeyuki Kihara]] – a contemporary artist whose work has been featured in numerous museum exhibitions art galleries around the world. Her solo exhibition, Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs (2008–9), was the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'s first exhibition of contemporary Samoan art. Kihara is co-Editor of the 2018 book ''Samoan Queer Lives''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.littleisland.co.nz/books/samoan-queer-lives| title= Samoan Queer Lives published by Little Island Press}}</ref> | |||
* [[Marion Malena]] – a multiple beauty pageant winner and performer from American Samoa currently living in Seattle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews40_42/page6.cfm |title=New Miss UTOPIA crowned |work=Seattle Gay News |date=2012-10-19 |accessdate=2014-02-18}}</ref> | |||
* [[Fuimaono Karl Pulotu-Endemann]] – a medical professional, [[Justice of the Peace]], and gay activist from New Zealand. In the [[2001 New Year Honours]], Pulotu-Endemann was made a [[Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit]] for services to Public Health. | |||
* [[Jaiyah Saelua]] – [[American Samoa national association football team|American Samoan soccer player]]. Saelua was the first fa'afafine player to compete in a men's [[FIFA World Cup]] qualifier. Saelua featured in a UK documentary ''[[Next Goal Wins]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/20/video-next-goal-wins-trailer-details-worst-team-in-the-world/|title= Next Goal WIns |work= [[NBC Sports Radio]] |date=2014-02-20|accessdate=2014-02-28}}</ref><ref name="Hollywood">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/202/829/9/index.html|title=Hollywood treatment for American Samoa|date=13 March 2013|work=[[FIFA]] World|accessdate=5 June 2014}}</ref> | |||
* [[Dan Taulapapa McMullin]] – poet, painter, filmmaker. Exhibited at Bishop Museum, Metropolitan Museum, United Nations. Collection of poems: ''Coconut Milk'' (American Library Association Top Ten LGBT Books of the Year). | |||
* [[Amao Leota Lu]] – performance artists, activist, community leader<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/dan-taulapapa-mcmullin| title=Poetry Foundation poet page for Dan Taulapapa McMullin}}</ref> | |||
==Fictional fa'afafines== | |||
* ''half-man half-girl'', an unnamed character in Albert Wendt's novel ''Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree'' (1979). | |||
* ''Sugar Shirley'', a character in Sia Figiel's novel ''Where We Once Belonged'' (1996).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Yamamoto|first=Traise|date=2000-10-01|title=Where We Once Belonged (review)|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/14610|journal=Journal of Asian American Studies|language=en|volume=3|issue=3|pages=384–386|doi=10.1353/jaas.2000.0042|issn=1096-8598}}</ref> | |||
* ''Vili Atafa'', a character in the ''Pasifika'' play ''A Frigate Bird Sings'' (1996) by Oscar Kightley, David Fane and Nathaniel Lees<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playmarket.org.nz/a_frigate_bird_sings |title=''A Frigate Bird Sings'' |access-date=2014-04-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145005/http://www.playmarket.org.nz/a_frigate_bird_sings |archive-date=2014-04-13 |df= }}</ref> | |||
* ''Sinalela'' (2001), a fictional character in the short film ''Sinalela'' by Dan Taulapapa McMullin, awarded Best Short Film in the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.freewaves.org/video/sinalela|title=Sinalela | Freewaves Video Archive|website=archive.freewaves.org}}</ref> | |||
* ''Jerry the Faafafine'' (2011), a thematic figure (influenced by the poetry of Taulapapa) in an artwork series by Tanu Gago.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pimpiknows.com/tag/jerry-the-faafafine/|title=Jerry The Fa’afafine | PIMPI KNOWS}}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
===General references=== | |||
* Dolgoy, Reevan. 2000. [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ59578.pdf ''The Search for Recognition and Social Movement Emergence,'' Towards an Understanding of the Transformation of the Faafafine of Samoa.] (From interviews of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s). University of Alberta. | |||
* Schmidt, Johanna. 2001. [http://wwwsshe.murdoch.edu.au/intersections/issue6/schmidt.html "Redefining Fa'afafine: Western Discourses and the Construction of Transgenderism in Samoa"]. ''Intersections'', Issue 6. | |||
* Taulapapa McMullin, Dan. 2011. [https://books.google.com/books?id=GfjOuqTuaXEC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81#v=onepage&q=faafafine%20notes%20taulapapa "Fa'afafine Notes: On Tagaloa, Jesus, and Nafanua"] In ''Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature''. Edited by Qwo-Li Driskill, Chris Finley, Brian Joseph Gilley, and Scott Lauria Morgensen. pp. 81–94. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. | |||
* Feu'u, Poiva Junior Ashleigh. 2013. [http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/3179/thesis.pdf?sequence=7 ''Ia e Ola Malamalama i lou Faasinomaga'', A Comparative Study of the Faafafine of Samoa and the Whakawahine of Aotearoa-New Zealand]. Victoria University of Wellington. | |||
* Taulapapa McMullin, Dan. 2013. [http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/Books/bid2427.htm ''Coconut Milk'']. University of Arizona Press. | |||
* Thompson, Pausa Kaio. 2017. [https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:8gtht76hfs ''Saili Le Tofa: A Search for New Wisdom:'' Sexuality and Fa’afafine in the Samoan Context.] Columbia University. | |||
* Kihara, Yuki, and Taulapapa McMullin, Dan. 2018. [https://press.littleisland.nz/books/samoan-queer-lives "Samoan Queer Lives"]. Little Island Press, Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand. | |||
===Inline citations=== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
==External links== | |||
* [https://www.facebook.com/sfainc/ Facebook page for S.F.A. Samoan Faafafine Association Incorporated, Apia, Samoa.] | |||
* [http://assofias.webs.com/visionmissioncharity.htm Official website of S.O.F.I.A.S. Society of Fa’afaafine in American Samoa, Pago Pago, American Samoa.] | |||
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/97170793479/ Facebook page for UTOPIA San Francisco.] | |||
* Montague, James. 2011. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/sports/soccer/jonny-saelua-transgender-player-helps-american-samoa-to-first-international-soccer-win.html "Transgender Player Helps American Samoa to First International Soccer Win"]. New York Times, November 25, 2011. | |||
*{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26089486|title=The evolutionary puzzle of homosexuality|date=18 February 2014|accessdate=18 February 2014|author=William Kremer|publisher=BBC News}} | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Wikipedia:Fa'afafine]] | * [[Wikipedia:Fa'afafine]] | ||
*[[Gender-variant identities worldwide]] | * [[Gender-variant identities worldwide]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||