Abstract
In Samoa, feminine natal males who possess male-typical genitalia are known locally as fa’afafine. Some Samoan men express sexual interest in fa’afafine, whereas others do not. To assess the sexual orientation of men who are sexually interested in fa’afafine, we collected sexual attraction ratings and viewing times of Samoan men’s and women’s faces. Study 1 (N = 130) focused on men who were insertive or versatile during anal sex with fa’afafine partners. These men were compared to each other, as well as to males (i.e., men and fa’afafine) who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. Study 2 (N = 180) compared men who had sex with fa’afafine and women; men who had sex with fa’afafine, women, and men; and men who had sex with fa’afafine and men. These men were compared to each other, as well as to males who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. These studies suggest that men who have sex with fa’afafine are a heterogeneous group. A small portion of the men who are sexually interested in fa’afafine shows a relatively bisexual pattern of sexual attraction ratings and viewing times, namely men who have sex with fa’afafine, men, and women. In contrast, a larger number of men who were sexually interested in fa’afafine responded in a manner similar to men who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. The present research suggests that additional insights into male sexual orientation can be garnered by focusing on how sexuality is expressed in non-Western cultural contexts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 517-529 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Archives of Sexual Behavior |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, Louisa Apelu, Laulu Seuamuli Henry Taefu, Paul Ah Kuoi, Trisha Tuiloma, Alatina Ioelu, John Sylla, Samoan Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Samoan Immigration, the Tapuai Kuka II family of Savai’i, and all of the individuals who agreed to participate in our study. Various stages of this research were supported by the University of Lethbridge, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Stirling; by a SSHRC Masters and Doctoral Scholarship to LJP; by a New Zealand International Doctoral Scholarship to BJD; by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to ACL; and, by a Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant and an American Institute of Bisexuality Grant to PLV.
Funding Information:
We thank Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, Louisa Apelu, Laulu Seuamuli Henry Taefu, Paul Ah Kuoi, Trisha Tuiloma, Alatina Ioelu, John Sylla, Samoan Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Samoan Immigration, the Tapuai Kuka II family of Savai?i, and all of the individuals who agreed to participate in our study. Various stages of this research were supported by the University of Lethbridge, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Stirling; by a SSHRC Masters and Doctoral Scholarship to LJP; by a New Zealand International Doctoral Scholarship to BJD; by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to ACL; and, by a Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant and an American Institute of Bisexuality Grant to PLV.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Funding
We thank Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, Louisa Apelu, Laulu Seuamuli Henry Taefu, Paul Ah Kuoi, Trisha Tuiloma, Alatina Ioelu, John Sylla, Samoan Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Samoan Immigration, the Tapuai Kuka II family of Savai’i, and all of the individuals who agreed to participate in our study. Various stages of this research were supported by the University of Lethbridge, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Stirling; by a SSHRC Masters and Doctoral Scholarship to LJP; by a New Zealand International Doctoral Scholarship to BJD; by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to ACL; and, by a Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant and an American Institute of Bisexuality Grant to PLV. We thank Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, Louisa Apelu, Laulu Seuamuli Henry Taefu, Paul Ah Kuoi, Trisha Tuiloma, Alatina Ioelu, John Sylla, Samoan Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Samoan Immigration, the Tapuai Kuka II family of Savai?i, and all of the individuals who agreed to participate in our study. Various stages of this research were supported by the University of Lethbridge, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Stirling; by a SSHRC Masters and Doctoral Scholarship to LJP; by a New Zealand International Doctoral Scholarship to BJD; by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to ACL; and, by a Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant and an American Institute of Bisexuality Grant to PLV.
Keywords
- Anal sex
- Bisexuality
- Fa’afafine
- Gynandromorphophilia
- Sexual orientation
- Viewing time
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- General Psychology