Ok, let me explain.
I get a magazine called Islands, in the Jan/Feb issue there is an article called 'Where Boys will be Girls' it is a very interesting article about the Fa'afafine, which in samoan means 'in the manner of a woman'.
The Fa'afafine have taken on the roles where needed of women, doing womens work, in entertainment, raising familys. They are part of society and accepted. This is the way of their culture and traditions. going back centrys.
I can't print the whole article here, but there is a website to go to for some of the documentary that was done called Paradise Bent. the site is
www.reangle.com.au/ the whole documentary is not here but there are 2 parts to watch. Very interesting. And of course run to barnes and nobel and get the current issue of islands and read the article.
you know we want to retire to a warmer climate, too bad it is so far away!!
Enjoy.
Honey
If you want society to accept you then move to Samoa
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Beauty,
I have a subscription to a magazine called Islands, right on the front the the Jan/feb issue is like the eye catching things of what is in the mag. well it says Samoa's Boy-Girls well of course it caught my eye so I open it up and the article is called Where Boys will be Girls. I read the article twice and my husband also read it, we both agreed it was a good article. The info for the documentary was included in the article
I looked at the website for the documentary today, I would like to find out how to see the whole thing, if you can read the article then it will put it together for you. you might find the magazine at your library otherwise a larger book store would have it. If you can't find it at all i would be happy to make a copy of it and mail it to you, you can pm me with your address.
What a life in a tropical paradise, respect and a low stress life!!
Honey
I have a subscription to a magazine called Islands, right on the front the the Jan/feb issue is like the eye catching things of what is in the mag. well it says Samoa's Boy-Girls well of course it caught my eye so I open it up and the article is called Where Boys will be Girls. I read the article twice and my husband also read it, we both agreed it was a good article. The info for the documentary was included in the article
I looked at the website for the documentary today, I would like to find out how to see the whole thing, if you can read the article then it will put it together for you. you might find the magazine at your library otherwise a larger book store would have it. If you can't find it at all i would be happy to make a copy of it and mail it to you, you can pm me with your address.
What a life in a tropical paradise, respect and a low stress life!!
Honey
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Letter from Samoa: Impersonating woman still illegal
Friday September 07, 2007
By Cherelle Jackson
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/sto ... d=10462265
Despite fa'afafines being very much part of the Samoan culture, the
impersonation of a woman is still illegal under the Crimes Ordinance
1961 of Samoa.
Fa'afafines, otherwise known as transvestites, cross dressers or
homosexuals are deeply ingrained in the Fa'aSamoa according myths
and legends.
Lau Dr Asofou Soo a Professor of Samoan studies defined the
faafafine as: "Men who act like women, feel like women and tend to
do work done by women."
According to Samoan Dictionary by G.B Milner a fa'afafine is defined
it as "a feminine man or youth."
The Transgender website, which talks about transvestites in many
cultures, has an interesting definition drawn from Paradise Bent, a
documentary about Samoan faafafines.
"When it comes to gender, it seems there is a truly Samoan way of
seeing the world. Fa'afafines are boys who are raised as girls and
take on the domestic duties performed by women around the home,
raising the children, caring for the elderly, and bringing the
family together."
In addition to those roles, fa'afafines in recent years have
spearheaded health campaigns, the promotion of human rights issues
as well as dominating the fashion designing scene in Samoa.
This month saw more than 10 fa'afafines from around the Pacific take
part in the Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) conference held at the
SamoaTel conference room.
The vibrant and diverse personalities of the participants provided a
smooth edge to an otherwise taboo topic in the Pacific.
The objective of the Conference according to President of Samoa Aids
Foundation Mr Ken Moala is to create a network of organizations and
individuals from around the Pacific to lobby for and advocate in the
interests of the MSM community.
"The term (MSM) is very fluid, for want of a better term we are
trying to identify exactly who we are, there's various
terminologies, but the common objective is for intervention with
STIs and HIV/AIDS on how best we can protect ourselves and our
community," Moala said.
Part of the advocacy process, includes the influencing of "archaic"
legislation which discriminates against MSMs and fa'afafines.
Moala was asked if the network would focus on the Samoan legislation
which not only prohibits the impersonation of a woman, it also
contains anti-sodomy articles.
According to the 1961 Crimes Ordinance it is illegal for a male to
impersonate a woman with "the intent to deceive any other person as
to his true sex."
The article goes on to state that using typical female products,
accessories or "any other article intended by him to represent that
he is female or in any other way is impersonating or representing
himself to be a female."
The maximum penalty for such a crime is six months of imprisonment
or a fine not exceeding $200.00.
But this is not a major issue according to Moala.
"Regarding our own legislation, I have already been in contact with
the Attorney General's Office, the comment is that they need to be
repealed, because we do not live in a society which bans the
impersonation of women," Moala said.
According to the HIV/AIDS campaigner, it happens anywhere.
"The AG told me they would not enforce it because of our cultural
stance but to me that's not an issue, there's a lot of issues that
we should be concerned about and once of those is that were safe
here in Samoa."
Currently no fa'afafine or person has been charged under this law.
Copyright C2007, APN Holdings NZ Limited
-----------
Copyright Statement: Material appearing in this post is
distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have
expressed an interest in receiving the article material for research
and educational purposes. This is in accordance with Title 17 U. S.
C. section 107. Please note that distribution of articles doesn't
constitute endorsement of the articles' content; "opposition"
articles are distributed to educate interested readership about
contrary and unfavorable standpoints.
Friday September 07, 2007
By Cherelle Jackson
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/sto ... d=10462265
Despite fa'afafines being very much part of the Samoan culture, the
impersonation of a woman is still illegal under the Crimes Ordinance
1961 of Samoa.
Fa'afafines, otherwise known as transvestites, cross dressers or
homosexuals are deeply ingrained in the Fa'aSamoa according myths
and legends.
Lau Dr Asofou Soo a Professor of Samoan studies defined the
faafafine as: "Men who act like women, feel like women and tend to
do work done by women."
According to Samoan Dictionary by G.B Milner a fa'afafine is defined
it as "a feminine man or youth."
The Transgender website, which talks about transvestites in many
cultures, has an interesting definition drawn from Paradise Bent, a
documentary about Samoan faafafines.
"When it comes to gender, it seems there is a truly Samoan way of
seeing the world. Fa'afafines are boys who are raised as girls and
take on the domestic duties performed by women around the home,
raising the children, caring for the elderly, and bringing the
family together."
In addition to those roles, fa'afafines in recent years have
spearheaded health campaigns, the promotion of human rights issues
as well as dominating the fashion designing scene in Samoa.
This month saw more than 10 fa'afafines from around the Pacific take
part in the Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) conference held at the
SamoaTel conference room.
The vibrant and diverse personalities of the participants provided a
smooth edge to an otherwise taboo topic in the Pacific.
The objective of the Conference according to President of Samoa Aids
Foundation Mr Ken Moala is to create a network of organizations and
individuals from around the Pacific to lobby for and advocate in the
interests of the MSM community.
"The term (MSM) is very fluid, for want of a better term we are
trying to identify exactly who we are, there's various
terminologies, but the common objective is for intervention with
STIs and HIV/AIDS on how best we can protect ourselves and our
community," Moala said.
Part of the advocacy process, includes the influencing of "archaic"
legislation which discriminates against MSMs and fa'afafines.
Moala was asked if the network would focus on the Samoan legislation
which not only prohibits the impersonation of a woman, it also
contains anti-sodomy articles.
According to the 1961 Crimes Ordinance it is illegal for a male to
impersonate a woman with "the intent to deceive any other person as
to his true sex."
The article goes on to state that using typical female products,
accessories or "any other article intended by him to represent that
he is female or in any other way is impersonating or representing
himself to be a female."
The maximum penalty for such a crime is six months of imprisonment
or a fine not exceeding $200.00.
But this is not a major issue according to Moala.
"Regarding our own legislation, I have already been in contact with
the Attorney General's Office, the comment is that they need to be
repealed, because we do not live in a society which bans the
impersonation of women," Moala said.
According to the HIV/AIDS campaigner, it happens anywhere.
"The AG told me they would not enforce it because of our cultural
stance but to me that's not an issue, there's a lot of issues that
we should be concerned about and once of those is that were safe
here in Samoa."
Currently no fa'afafine or person has been charged under this law.
Copyright C2007, APN Holdings NZ Limited
-----------
Copyright Statement: Material appearing in this post is
distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have
expressed an interest in receiving the article material for research
and educational purposes. This is in accordance with Title 17 U. S.
C. section 107. Please note that distribution of articles doesn't
constitute endorsement of the articles' content; "opposition"
articles are distributed to educate interested readership about
contrary and unfavorable standpoints.
DonnaT