The term fa’afafine refers to men who are raised and identify as females, and means “in the way of a woman”, and has been around since the early 20th Century.
The fa’afafine community identifies as different from the lesbian and gay communities, and fa’afafine is considered a third gender. Some fa’afafine may live entirely as females, while others adopt only some feminine attributes.
Samoa’s annual Miss Fa’afafine Pageant is a very popular event.
