Māhū
' in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are people who embody both male and female spirit. They have traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan ' and Samoan '. The terms “third gender” and “in the mid ...
(meaning "in the middle"), a gender category in Polynesia.
History
Connection to French military presence and sex work
The development of the Rae-Rae identity coincided with the opening of Fa‘a‘a International Airport and the establishment of the Centre d’Expérimentation du Pacifique (CEP) for nuclear testing, which brought an influx of military personnel and tourists to French Polynesia. This influx led to a booming sex trade, prompting
Māhū
' in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are people who embody both male and female spirit. They have traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan ' and Samoan '. The terms “third gender” and “in the mid ...
to adopt a more feminine appearance to attract
Frenchmen
French people () are a nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France.
The French people, especially the native speakers of langues d'oïl from nor ...
, thus leading to the distinction of Rae-Rae from traditional
Māhū
' in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are people who embody both male and female spirit. They have traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan ' and Samoan '. The terms “third gender” and “in the mid ...
.
The term Rae-Rae emerged in Tahiti in the 1960s to describe a type of
Māhū
' in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are people who embody both male and female spirit. They have traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan ' and Samoan '. The terms “third gender” and “in the mid ...
who began expressing their gender more overtly as women in society. Māhū initially provided sexual services to
Frenchmen
French people () are a nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France.
The French people, especially the native speakers of langues d'oïl from nor ...
, and over time, those who feminized their gender expression more successfully attracted these foreigners, which led to the emergence of the term "Rae-Rae" to distinguish these more feminized Māhū from others.
In Polynesian Society
Comparison with Māhū identity
In French Polynesian culture, there are two distinct third-gender categories:
Māhū
' in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are people who embody both male and female spirit. They have traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan ' and Samoan '. The terms “third gender” and “in the mid ...
and Rae-Rae. Māhū, indigenous to the Islands, with a long cultural history dating back to the pre-contact period, are often described as "half-man, half-woman," engaging in feminine-coded labor and viewed positively as good advisers and caretakers. Māhū are considered "traditional" and "culturally authentic." While Māhū may dress as men using their given names and occasionally wear women's clothing without typically pursuing body modifications, Rae-Rae are viewed as a more modern category, often living openly as women, adopting women's names, wearing female clothing and makeup, and sometimes undergoing hormone treatment and gender-affirmation surgery. Rae-Rae are often critical of what they perceive as ambiguity and cowardice in Māhū gender expression.
Place within French Polynesian society
Rae-Rae face varying levels of acceptance across different communities. Unlike Māhū, Rae-Rae often encounter malignment, ridicule, and harassment. On Tahiti, Rae-Rae are frequently marginalized and viewed negatively due to their association with sex work, Western-style transgender identities, and white femininity, which significantly impacts their social acceptance. While they find more acceptance in larger cosmopolitan areas, Rae-Rae face increased marginalization on smaller, conservative islands like
Rurutu
Rūrutu is the northernmost island in the Austral archipelago of French Polynesia, and the name of a commune consisting solely of that island. It is situated south of Tahiti. Its land area is . On Bora Bora, both Māhū and Rae-Rae are integrated and valued within their families and the tourist industry, with Rae-Rae not being labeled as sex workers despite engaging in similar activities. Although Rae-Rae, like Māhū, are integrated into family structures and social life, they tend to stretch the limits of an accepted third-gender traditional role more than Māhū do. This often leads to Rae-Rae being viewed as incompatible with the traditional Polynesian worldview and sometimes seen as culturally inauthentic due to their associations with French patrons and contemporary lifestyles.
Relationships with Families
Family support is crucial for both Māhū and Rae-Rae individuals in Polynesian society, with Māhū generally experiencing tolerance while Rae-Rae often face rejection and expulsion from their homes. Rae-Rae encounter significant challenges within conservative or religious families, exacerbated by a prevalent belief among older generations that prostitution is their only viable future.
Law and Recognition of Gender Identity
Despite progressive French laws governing French Polynesia, which provide LGBTQ+ rights and allow legal gender changes without surgery, cultural recognition of Rae-Rae remains limited, especially on smaller islands. Rae-Rae often seek recognition as women rather than a separate third-gender identity, but face negative perceptions in Tahitian society due to their perceived focus on sexuality and Western influences. This lack of acceptance and limited opportunities in conservative communities drive many Rae-Rae to migrate to urban areas or mainland France. Those seeking gender-affirming surgeries often travel abroad to countries like France, Thailand, or Turkey for better healthcare options and lower costs, although these procedures remain expensive.
Characteristics
Gender Expression and Presentation
Rae-Rae individuals in Polynesian society express their femininity through various means, characterized by cosmopolitan fashion style and extensive makeup, often emulating Euro-American fashion-model aesthetics. Unlike Māhū, who wear men's clothes and balance masculine and feminine traits, Rae-Rae engage in deliberate feminine expression by adopting female gender roles, wearing women's clothing, and using female names in their daily lives. This commitment to feminine expression extends to participation in transgender beauty contests and taking on roles as advisors on fashion and cosmetics, as well as teachers of traditional dances.
Rae-Rae frequently undergo bodily modifications, including
hormone therapy
Hormone therapy or hormonal therapy is the use of hormones in medical treatment. Treatment with hormone antagonists may also be referred to as hormonal therapy or antihormone therapy. The most general classes of hormone therapy are hormonal therap ...
, dieting, breast enlargement, and sometimes
gender-affirming surgery
Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their gender identity. The phrase is most often associated ...
, to align their physical appearance with their gender identity. However, the approach to body modification among Rae-Rae is not uniform. While many use hormones to feminize their bodies and seek gender-affirming surgeries, others hesitate due to potential side effects like weight gain or impacts on sexual pleasure.
Outside French Polynesia
Intersection with LGBTQ+ Identities
Both Māhū and Rae-Rae are considered part of the broader LGBTQ+ spectrum in French Polynesia, but they represent different aspects of gender identity. The Rae-Rae identity aligns more closely with Western concepts of transgender women and intersects with Western notions of gay and transgender identities. This Western influence has contributed to a negative perception of Rae-Rae in Tahitian society.