Title: 10 Societies That Recognize More Than Two Genders - Listverse
Headings: 10 Societies That Recognize More Than Two Genders
10 Societies That Recognize More Than Two Genders
10 The Hijra Of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, And Nepal
9 The Muxes Of Mexico
8 The Xaniths Of Oman
7 The Bugis Tribe Of Indonesia Recognizes Five Genders
6 The Two-Spirit People Of North America
5 The Six Genders Of Classical Judaism
4 The Fa’afafines Of Samoa
3 The Sekratas Of Madagascar
2 The Guevedoces Of The Dominican Republic
1 The Warias Of Indonesia

Content: 6]
4 The Fa’afafines Of Samoa
Photo credit: samoaobserver.ws
The people of Samoa recognize a third gender called fa’afafine. The term refers to boys raised as girls. This is very evident in their name. In Samoan, fa’a means “in the manner of” while fafine means “woman.” Fa’afafines categorize themselves as a distinct gender and refuse to be identified as transgender or homosexual because those terms describe males and females. They take up the gender and sexual roles associated with women, although they can also get into relationships with women and other fa’afafines. [ 7]
Fa’afafines are believed to be born that way, although some boys could be deliberately turned into fa’afafines. It is not unusual for parents with many male children and no female children to raise one of the boys as a girl. This conversion will usually lead to abuse.