Fa'afafine/Fa'afatama

Samoa has historically and continues to recognize four cultural genders: man, woman, fa'afafine, and fa’afatama. Fa’afafine people are assigned male at birth, and this term translates to “in the manner of a woman.” Fa'afatama people are assigned female at birth, and this term translates to “in the manner of a man.” Both fa'afafine and fa'afatama people move fluidly between traditional man and woman gender roles and don’t fit neatly into western concepts of gay, trans, or queer. In Samoa, fa'afafine and fa'afatama people tend to take on community caregiver roles for elders and educate men and women about sex, a topic considered taboo for those genders. Note: When living in another country or visiting other states that don't have the same cultural genders, people with these identities may code-switch and call themselves trans women, trans men, non-binary, or gay in order for their identity to be legible to others. For more.