The Gender of Flowers
This article looks at the māhū, raerae, and trans women in Tahiti (French Polynesia). Based on interviews conducted as part of an ethnographical study, it explores the articulation between gender identity and sexuality. These three categories constitute variations of the feminization process of Polynesians assigned male at birth. The article begins by presenting the three figures and their differences, while insisting on the porosity of the categories. It then argues that the logic of distinction underlies self-identification as “trans”. Secondly, the article analyzes the sexualization of masculine men by māhū/raerae/trans women, and vice versa. It appears that for the interviewees who identify to one of these categories, sexuality with masculine men contributes to the feminization of the self.