All the single ladies

“I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips
Got me tighter in my Dereon jeans
Acting up, drink in my cup
I can care less what you think”
Beyonce Knowles- "All the single ladies"

Fa’afafine in Samoa, according to sources number between 3000-5000 (of a total population of 190,000) …or 1:20 males.

In the words of someone who spent far to much time looking into the phenomenon, fa’afafine have formed an integral part of the Samoan population since pre Christian influence…”Boys who display marked effeminate behaviour in childhood are recognized to be Fa’afafines and are fully accepted within their families and society.”

But facts have no place here. From my observation, fa’afafine numbers appear to be on the increase. It looks more men are borrowing their sisters blouses and air kissing one another “Talofa”. (This is in addition to far too much floral print, and the cultural practice of everybody wearing dresses, regardless of masculinity.)

Not always easy to spot at a distance- fa’afafine range widely in appearance; from the aggressively feminine, clad in black vinyl several sizes too small, hairspray devouring “Tina Turner”- to the private school educated, caustically intelligent public servants (the “Eddie Izzard”)- to downright dangerously unpredictable street dwellers (somewhere between Jared Leto and Brittney Spears).

There are common features- and I think these indicate a reason for the rise in numbers.
More burley, brown effeminate blokes are looking for an excuse to express themselves… and to openly not just like- but to be able to play loudly, even dance to…Beyonce.

In some sort of bizarre reverse effect of her unbridled black and proud, hip jutting, seam tearing sexuality …I think Beyonce is making more Samoan men act like women.

Or it could be something else. But the weather, for instance, wouldn’t explain why I suddenly have a very soft spot for Taylor Swift…(although I refuse to worry unless her back catalogue starts to appeal).