Samoa, Oceania

Samoa is an independent country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. (Not to be confused with American Samoa). The people have subtly adapted the dominant religion of Christianity to 'fit in' with fa'a Samoa, the traditional Samoan way which is centered around the principle of vāfealoa'i, the relationships between people based on respect, or fa'aaloalo. Unfortunately this respect does not extend to gay citizens; homosexuality is illegal and there are no LGBT rights or protections - not surprising since Samoans are deeply spiritual and religious people.

 

 

Report delves into men and fa’afafine sex antics

Close to 30,000 fa’afafine and men have sex with other men in Samoa. So says the Pacific Multi-country Mapping and Behavioural Study 2016, as part of the Ministry of Health’s sixth annual report to UNAIDS. Obtained by the Samoa Observer this report is evidence of Samoa’s commitment to the global response to HIV, AIDS, and… Read more »

Miss Fa’afafine: A look inside Samoa’s transgender beauty pageant

Homosexual acts may be illegal in Samoa, but the annual transgender beauty pageant is a mainstay of the island nation’s social calendar. Miss Fa’afafine takes its name from the Samoan word for the society’s “third gender”, which literally translates to “in the style of” (fa’a) “woman” (fafine). Estimates of the proportion of fa’afafines in the… Read more »

‘Impersonating a woman’ decriminalized in Samoa

Third gender fa’afafine in Samoa celebrate the end of legal discrimination Fa’afafine, a third gender culture native to Samoa, are celebrating because a new law decriminalizes ‘impersonating a woman’. The Crimes Act 2012, which came into law yesterday, replaced the Crimes Ordinance 1961 which criminalized ‘the impersonation of a female’ by any male in Samoa.… Read more »

Samoa News & Reports

1 Redefining Fa’afafine 8/01 (academic research) 2 Bad-Assed Honeys with a Difference 8/01 3 Fa’afafine – Samoan boys brought up as girls’ 2005 4 Samoa will change suggested rule that banned 7/07 5 Retract Gay Sex Ban; Also, Samoa’s Trans Tradition…7/07 6 Samoa bans gay rights movie ‘Milk’ 4/09 7 Obama to Name Openly Gay… Read more »