Also, Samoa's Trans Tradition...

Samoan Sports Officials Enact, Retract Gay Sex Ban

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Samoan officials are pumped for the forthcoming South Pacific Games. They aren’t pumped, however, about the prospect of gay gamers getting it on – at least they weren’t until the gamers called them out for being homo-haters.

The pacific nation’s sports officials published a set of rules yesterday, including a prohibition on same sex love.

Athletes are advised that they should not embarrass themselves, their families and the country.

A memo says homosexual activities are against the law of God.

Most people scoffed at the directive, leading Samoa National Olympic Committee president Tapasu Leung Wai to do a revoke the repulsive rules:

I regret that it appeared that gay people were being singled out in the draft instruction. Team managers agreed yesterday that the reference be deleted.

Now everyone can play for the same team!

Radio Australia explains that the decision comes as Samoans open their hearts to “fa’afafine”: men who dress as women when their family lacks the feminine touch.

In families of all male children, or where the daughters are too young to assist with so-called women’s work, parents choose one or more of their sons to help the mother.

Because the boys perform the ‘work of women’ they are raised as if they are female.

Although their gender is widely known, they will usually dress as girls.

As they age, their duties do not change and they continue with women’s work even if they marry – usually to a woman.

In light of Samoa’s social history, Leung Way reiterated that the rules weren’t meant to be discriminatory, “[The way] we are brought up, there is no hard feelings against anybody, we treat everybody as equal.” Except for that whole “women’s work” thing, of course. Seriously – they’ve created an entire social mechanism to ensure “manly” men don’t have to get on their knees and scrub. Sure, it’s cool that they’re cool with fa’afafine, but does it strike anyone else as a bit disingenuous? Maybe we’re just cynical…

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