Faʻafafine
Faʻafafine are people who identify themselves as having a third gender or non-binary role in Samoa, American Samoa and the Samoan diaspora. A recognised gender identity/gender role in traditional Samoan society, and an integral part of Samoan culture, faʻafafine 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.
A faʻafafine organisation on Auckland pride parade in 2016 | |||||||
| Etymology | Samoan prefix faʻa-, meaning "in the manner of" + fafine, meaning "woman" | ||||||
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| Classification | Gender identity | ||||||
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| Synonyms | Fakafāfine, Fiafifine, Fakafifine | ||||||
| Associated terms | Fakaleiti, two-spirit, trans woman, Akava'ine, Māhū | ||||||
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| Culture | Samoan | ||||||
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Anthropologists have speculated that if a Samoan 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 faʻafafine; however, this theory has been disputed.
It has been estimated that 1–5% of Samoans identify as faʻafafine. According to SBS news, there are up to 3,000 faʻafafine currently living in Samoa.