War & Paradise: The Territories Of The U.S.

Fa’afafine: The Third Gender In Samoa

In sharp contrast to their archaic gender roles, Samoa’s attitude towards sex and gender only become even more confusing with the existence of the Fa’afafine. The Fa’afafine have been accepted in Samoa as a third gender since at least the early 20th century. Sex-wise, they are male at birth, but commonly exhibit both masculine and feminine behaviorism and characteristics. In Samoa, parents enforce gender roles and expectations far less compared to most Western societies. Instead, the culture values dedication to family and hard work.