Male bisexuality in Samoa

Abstract

Western empirical studies of sexual orientation have primarily found that males are predominantly gynephilic (i.e., sexually attracted to adult females) or predominantly androphilic (i.e., sexually attracted to adult males), few are attracted to both males and females. However, in many non-Western cultures androphilic males are markedly feminine and they do not engage in sexual interactions with one another. Instead, they engage in sexual interactions with masculine men; men who’s sexual orientation is, yet, unclear. To address this, my thesis has centred on investigating the sexual orientation of Samoan men who engage in sexual activity with feminine androphilic males (known locally as fa’afafine). The results indicate that the sexual partners of fa’afafine demonstrate bisexual patterns of sexual attraction. Thus, my thesis research suggests that, in some cultures, male sexual orientation may exist on a continuum, with gynephilia and androphilia anchored at opposite ends and with many gradients of bisexuality in between.