Samoa Fa'afafine Association

Samoa Fa'afafine Association (SFA) is an organisation based in Samoa, which provides support for LGBTQ+ communities. It organises the annual Miss Faʻafafine pageant, provides sexual health educational programming and advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Samoa, in particular its faʻafafine communities.

Background

The Samoa Faʻafafine Association (SFA) was founded in 2006, against a background of decades of faʻafafine organising in Samoa. It was initially founded by a group of ten faʻafafine, who came from professional backgrounds.[1] Two of the co-founders were Ymania Brown[2] and To’oto’oali’I Roger Stanley; the latter became the first President of the SFA in 2006. From its inception, the patron of the SFA has been the Samoan president, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi. Its website was launched in 2008.

The SFA is aligned with several LGBTQ+ organisations, both in the pacific region and globally, including the International Trans Fund and International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

Activism

In 2013, lobbying by the SFA led to the successful repeal of laws prohibiting 'female impersonation'.

Faʻatama

Whilst faʻafafine are men who 'live in the manner of women', faʻatama are women who 'live in the manner' of men. The SFA was divided as to whether faʻatama should be part of the organisation until 2015, when their membership expanded to include them. However their first faʻatama member did not join until 2017. The same year, the SFA organised Samoa's first formal gathering of faʻatama, bringing together members of the community who did not previously know one another, to create a network and to better understand how the SFA can help to advocate for their needs.