| Classification | Gender identity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other terms | |||||
| Associated terms | Fakaleiti,Two-spirit,Trans woman,Akava'ine,Māhū,Pinapinaaine | ||||
| Demographics | |||||
| Culture | Niuean | ||||
| |||||
Fakafifine are people fromNiue, who were born assigned male at birth but who have a feminine gender expression. In Niue this is understood as athird gender, culturally specific to the country.[1][2]
The term comes fromNiuean and is composed of the prefixfaka- (in the manner of) and the suffix -fifine (woman) and is defined inNiue Language Dictionary as 'to behave like a woman' or 'to be effeminate'.[3] A related term isfakataane which means 'to behave like a man'.[4]
Fakafifine is included in the acronym MVPFAFF+ (mahu,vakasalewalewa,palopa,fa'afafine,akava'ine,fakaleiti or leiti, fakafifine, and other), coined byPhylesha Brown-Acton, to "enhance Pasifika gender diversity awareness in addition to the term LGBTQI".[5][6]
