Tribewanted: Vorovoro

absolutely kaz – inclusiveness is vital to progress and soemthing that Obama defines so well. I also think that’s one of Vorovoro’s strengths and Fijian culture in general.

”.5” (half man) I always understood to be much more about whether you were a traditional Fijian man(warrior/ fisherman/ gardener etc…) or whether you stayed at home and did the cooking/ washing, so a gender role issue rather than one about your sexual orientation (although I accept there are overlaps here).

This I understand stems from large male dominated Polynesian families who would bring up their youngest son to manage the home with the women.

When I first arrived on Vorovoro and put my hands in the washing up bowl I was told by Va that the boys will not respect me if I did that and call me point five! I am happy to say now that all are welcome at the washing up bowl…

But the phrase probably means different things to different people – and the guys who throw this around daily should be aware of this.

Merging cultures is going to bring up such debates and that is healthy as is everyone realising that ‘dishwashers make great lovers.’

It’s very interesting to understand how the Fijians perceive the term 0.5, yet the western connotation has taken it to the term ‘faffah.’ I too was horrified that jokes could be made @ other people’s expense!
Thank you Kaz for bringing this up; something I would have liked to have done! However, I didn’t with the fear of being called ‘old fashioned!’
Let us all enjoy 2009, with the knowledge that we are neither ‘old’ fashioned, ‘new’ fashioned, but just ‘me’ fashioned!
Vinaka vaka levu Kaz, for reminding us all to engage in more meaningful conversation.

indeed, slurs often begin innocently enough, but even creating stigma around being designated as the kitchen boy has hugely detrimental and negative impact on children who have not chosen that role themselves.

it is precisely because there is such a strongly defined set of gender roles and patriarchy in fijian culture that this strikes me as important enough to mention. while there are indeed female chiefs, the sexism that runs beneath the surface is palpable. and, while it was never enough to put me off visiting the country, being respectful of the history, and taking part in the village life, i thought this was a perfect opportunity to express my hopes for progress…

Thanks for bringing this issue to the site as it will help me in my visit at the end of Feb Kaz – and Ben for adding further information.

I have learned something from your blog Kaz,I am sure you have enlightened many others. Thank you for that

Hi Kaz, thanks for commenting on the 0.5/fa’afafine comments as an insult. It is not acceptable – I agree. The NZ equivalent in insults is “Oh my god, that’s so gay”. Fafa can also be used as an insult here.

Fa’afafine is an excepted way of life in Samoa, where young boys are brought up as women. They are accepted as a separate gender identity of their own “fa’afafine”. This is not an insult, but recognition that these boys don’t fit into the traditional male or female roles in that society. The only issue I have is that they are picked very young, perhaps in error.

Personally I’ve always found Pacific Islanders to be far more accepting of gay men than here in New Zealand – Fijians have a reputation here as being very much in touch with and comfortable with their sexuality – gay or straight – so it’s surprising you say there’s no external embrace. Perhaps it’s because they are freer in NZ? My perception is that being gay isn’t talked about in Fiji – it’s just quietly accepted – with exceptions of course! It could be bad that no one is talking about it, but that is also the Fijian culture – to remain silent rather than risk confrontation.

For all tribe members, making a point of perceived difference (girl, gay, fafa) into an insult is not acceptable, and if others feel uncomfortable, we need to feel comfortable about speaking up and saying something.

Thanks Kaz for keeping it real.

Peace, Hannah

For those who are interested in fa’afafine culture – check out the wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%27afafine or get into some serious reading: Title:
Tangata o te moana nui : the evolving identities of Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand / edited by Cluny Macpherson, Paul Spoonley, Melani Anae.
Publisher:
Palmerston North, N.Z. : Dunmore Press, 2001. ISBN: 0864693699

The term faffa or .5 has never been used maliciously here on Vorovoro. In fact, it has almost become a term of endearment by Team Fiji as they bond with tribe members.

I’m not saying its right, I just think we should be careful about creating a problem that isn’t there.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate that you see it as a term of endearment. I also appreciate that people might not mean to use it maliciously.

I think the point is that if someone is uncomfortable with something, then it is a problem.

It’s like when I go to the mechanics and they call me “love”. They might be using the term out of habit and probably call all women “love”. I don’t think they mean it maliciously, but I have every right to state that I’d prefer not to be called love, as it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Being uncomfortable is a personal and subjective thing and I think it is a problem when anyone feels uncomfortable by someone else’s actions. What is worse is if they speak up and get dismissed.

This is a good discussion!

thanks hannah for sharing your thoughts and perspective! i don’t know much about the rest of the south pacific cultures’ take on this issue, only my observations on the island and in other parts of fiji.

jim, as i said, i don’t doubt it’s done with affection, but that also doesn’t mean it isn’t used in more derogatory ways elsewhere and isn’t indicative of a more deep-seated issue. often these things are brushed aside as okay, but there is a pervasive lack of acceptance of homosexuality in fiji and femininity in men.

i merely posted to start a discussion, comment on something i’ve noticed over the past two and some odd years that i’ve been involved with the project, and call for progress. and, if you note, the context in which it was raised in the blog to which i referred, it does have precisely to do with stigma, though our beloved legend pupu is wise enough to rise above it and understand it’s malarky…