Meaning of fa'afafine | Babel Free

Definitions

A Samoan whose gender is neither male nor female, being biologically male but preferring (or being raised for) traditionally female duties and tasks.

Examples

“What I wish to emphasize here is that 'traditionally' fa'afafine have been and generally still are initially identified in terms of labour preferences.”

“While Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) transyouth are invisible in the curriculum through their gender identity, fa'afafine youth are additionally invisible through their cultural identity. There are currently no support groups in Aotearoa/New Zealand for fa'afafine young people.”

“To begin with, he describes the relationship between his Samoan and fa'afafine identities by saying: 'for me culture is always first and then sexuality', and 'any interaction I have with anybody, the two things I want them to find out about me is the fact that I'm Samoan first and foremost and .... [secondly] that I'm fa'afafine.'”

CEFR level