After making the post about Andrej, I thought it would be neat to research third gender ideas from different cultures. Francessa pointed out the Fa'afafine culture in Samoa.
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| I love this picture on multiple levels. |
Fa'afafine are biological males who exhibit a female gender orientation. They aren't always raised as females or the third gender, but neither are they encouraged or discouraged to act in a feminine way. While they are not limited to traditional female roles, it is common for them to do the same tasks as other women.
In India, there is a group known as the Hijra. Again, they are born males who now identify as females or neither gender. They sometimes live in self contained communities led by a guru.
Sadly, Hijra are seen as being of a low status, often having to beg or prostitute for money. Sometimes, they perform at ceremonies such as weddings or births. The people there cannot turn them away and will even pay them for fear the Hijra will release bad wuju on the infant or future infants. This comes from a myth where Ramayana left his devoted followers in a forest where they waited 14 years for him to return. Touched by their love, he gave them the ability to grant blessings on people during special occasions.
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This is only a brief glimpse into how other countries view third gender or gender variant people. I could honestly start a whole other blog about them.
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