Fa'afafine: Samoan Boys Raised As Girls

The experience of this man is achingly similar to queer children raised by homophobic parents.

Bottom line is, when someone is forced into being someone they are not, then they suffer tremendously.

All of us humans can learn to listen and receive each other exactly as we are. Trying to control another living being is a cruel thing.

What a diverse cast! Really demonstrates the diversity in identities and lived experiences.

It was very interesting to hear from Leo. So heartbreaking that his peers bullied him so severely. I wish the boys had been nicer... And it's even more sad that the violence from outside his home, created more distance within the home, and especially towards his mother it sounds like. I wonder if the others had been more accepting if he wouldn't have had such a turbulent experience and probably maintained a healthy relationship with his mom/family. It seems that he never aligned with fa'afafine to begin with, but perhaps he wouldn't be so opposed to the gender now if he hadn't been so poorly received by his community... :(

Reciprocally, I can easily see how a fa'afafine child (or a queer child of any culture) who might not be accepted by their family would be in a lot of pain too. Gender is important to humans. All of our cultures are saturated in gender roles and qualities. None of us live outside of these gender games. Being able to respect someone's gender, regardless of what it is, is part of our human capacity for kindness towards one another.

I think the primary takeaway from this is to listen. Families can listen to their children, and respect their wishes. Forcing anyone to do something they don't want to do is cruel. Anyone is deserving of being heard and respected at any age; be that as a child or an adult. It is a sacred duty as a parent to try to understand your child to the best of your abilities and encourage them to grow in whatever way they wish to. When we feel embodied in ourselves, we are able to help others.

Sending love to all those who have been disregarded and forced into being someone they are not. That is a horrible feeling and space to exist in. I hope we can all learn and work together to receive others as they are, and celebrate every person for the unique colors they share with the world. <3

The poor guy whose parents forced him to be Fa'fafine... he's the same as a parent who forces assigned gender on their trans kid.

Why doesn't their culture see biological girls as having the same options.

This is the outcome and results of a lot of Samoan children who are abused and molested at young age and swept under the rug…can’t believe Samoan parents are allowing this mentally ill shit…

Ymania is still a good looking lady but dang what a stunner in her prime

This super evil smdh

🤦

Very interesting.

Disgusting

I've come across some REALLY BEAUTIFUL STUNNING Fafafine. Better looking than women 💀

Very inspirational and I’m so excited to see a culture embrace these differences this is so cool!

seems like a pretty regressive and homophobic concept to me

@ Nejolo I agree with you. This is an interesting piece only in the sense that such a piece of work ia finally presented from the Pacific by Pacific Islanders who grew up up there. Like some of you stated, this is a long-winded explanation. The conclusion is the same as anywhere of Western and European influence. Homosexuality was introduced and was foreign to Samoa like most native and indigenous societies globally that persevered. Enduring culture, heritage, identity, community, and respect deterred such nullification. Europeans targeted and challenged all such peoples by paganizing roots in spirituality, balanced diets, heterogeneity, etc by disrupting all aspects of natural order. Thereby, the after effects of dichotomy remain as conditioning or modifying one to express desired behaviors via expressing alternative behaviors in contrast to any traditional, spiritual, and extensive norm. Today, globally, we have an increase in every possible negative component of health factors in relation to dietary, sexual, and moral practices or acts. Think about 🤔 Peace ✌ It is so awful to learn that some parents would train and encourage this. I met a Guamanian who confirmed this for me years ago. This is equivocally sad for those who did not and do not want to be feminine. Once a male willingly crosses the line with another male, women should think twice about getting involved with either male. Stay healthy and true to oneself. Be careful out here.

LoL se ufa , fa'afafige , lol 😂😆 . Malo

As a Samoan, this is an embarrassment to our God and our nation.

One of the saddest things I've ever seen! Heartbreaking to watch!! Hope the guy that was so terribly abused can find Peace and Comfort! Wow! 😥😥😥😥😥🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️💙💜😍😍

I saw something very similar on Nat Geo

Women destroying men.

All kids should be doing the chores regardless of gender. This shouldn’t be pushed by parents. If the individual feels they are in a different body then let them find this for themselves and the parents support it when and if it happens.

So totally selfish on the parents.

Its pretty sad that some are groomed in this way I find that to be very controlling and it is mental and emotionally abuse

I hope the guy who was being forced into it has peace in his life now today! I agree with him that it's a form of child abuse! It's a wonderful he made it through such a horrible childhood!! I think choices like that should be made at 18 or over whatever the culture!!

Doo Doo head man

It sounds like the division of family chores is a core motivator of parents choosing a male child to be faafafine. If there are only boys? Who will do the female tasks? The faafafine. Great film 👍🏽

this is disgusting and completely against the bible. Samoans are meant to be religious wtf is this perversion!!!!!

He ——- she. Is really good looking

I think this film is stupid that’s not
A problem. The people choice wat he
Wants to be a woman or a man & they
Want to be woman.don’t blame parents
That’s your choice. It’s sad. God made you man stay a man. & woman stay a
Woman. This program. Is shameful to
Samoans. No body cares. About it

leo is so cute

I never knew this. My best friend in college was Chamarro, so I naturally stayed dancing hula and had many Samoan, Tongan, Micronesian friends, but never learned this. We had a guy who now I know was fa'afafine but the leader of our Huloa forced him to dance with the guys. Thank you for sharing this.

💜

I have never personally seen a boys forced into becoming faafafine but I’m sure there are parents who have tried it. I’ve seen it unfold two ways. I have cousins who were embraced and allowed to become who they are and I have cousins who’s parents tried to beat it out of them.

Polynesian culture has always had the 3rd sex...Pre Colonial days...In Maoridom its called Takatapuhi...Its only Christianity & its Society that have attached the stigma.Hypocrites!!!
. It doesnt matter, we're all HUMAN & POLYNESIAN !! PROUD AZ!!

Just sad😃

I feel sorry for the boys that at have been forced into this bu their families. It's one thing to enjoy it, it's another to be a heteromale and to have no say so.

why isn't this upside down????

If your poly, you have a faafafine cousin

Fa'afafine in english translation is...?

Great video i can kind of relate to what Phineas is saying

SOMEONE I could not get that out of my head every time I heard Samoan

I think they should wait and see what expresses naturally on each boy, and encourage it, not expect the role to stick through education. Or at least I hope that the whole point of LGBT representation and indigenous third gender experiences should be to teach us to allow the natural expression of children without expectations or roles to fulfill. What happened to the man who was forced into the role of Fa'afafine is the same thing that happens to trans people everywhere who are forced into cis gender roles. We shouldn't force anything, just present the options and allow people to flourish.

It's common in india aswell.

Same with bakla and bissu in Philippine and Indonesia. Not boys but identity "more" as girls. But they aren't fully girls. It's complicated. It's a very cultural thing. It's an Austronesian thing i think because Micronesian, Polynesian, and Maritime Southeast Asian society is Austronesian

U look like a Maori fafa 🤣🤣 malo bro oi sis lol 👌🤣

Are Fa'afafine and Mahu the same?

This seems like child abuse

There are only two genders but that doesn't mean you aren't free to be who you are, I wish people would understand that. You can't change your birthdate, who your biological parents are, your eye color, ..there shouldn't be 'gender roles' people should just be who they are and happy without trying to label themselves I'm so tired of this IT'S SCIENCE. Nobody is trying to take anything away from you but you can't just decide which gender yo identify as that's not how it works. Just be happy and treat people with respect but if you're born a man you're a man right or wrong.

I’m
Proud of our faafafine

This video proves that you cant push heterosexuality and cisgenderism NOR homosexuality etc and transgenderism/nonbinarism onto anyone. It's not a choice, it's how you are born. The way you dress and present is a choice but who you are is not