ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the processes by which migrant fa'afafine who understand themselves as different from gay men and passing women have become acknowledged, understood, celebrated and desired by Papalagi in Aotearoa/New Zealand. However, in some instances fa'afafine have been incorporated into western institutions such as the gay community as a result of the ascendance of particular political agendas, or into systems of exchange such as the sex industry. This political fa'afafine might be compared with a similarly 'radical' model of transgenderism identified by Mark Finn and Pippa Dell. Increasing recognition that to be fa'afafine is a subjectivity that is specific to Samoan culture, rather than simply an 'exotic' manifestation of homosexuality. Younger participants conducting sexual relations in contemporary contexts were more specific about the preferred sexual orientation of their partners. The context of contemporary Aotearoa/New Zealand provides increasing opportunities for fa'afafine to enact their femininity while being out about their masculine embodiment.
