Māhū
Third gender in traditional Hawaiian, Kanaka and Maohi cultures / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Māhū ('in the middle') in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are third gender people with traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan fakaleiti and Samoan fa'afafine.[1] Historically, the term māhū referred to people assigned male at birth (AMAB),[2][page needed] but in modern usage, māhū can refer to a variety of genders and sexual orientations.
According to present-day māhū kumu hula Kaua'i Iki:
Māhū were particularly respected as teachers, usually of hula dance and chant. In pre-contact times māhū performed the roles of goddesses in hula dances that took place in temples which were off-limits to women. Māhū were also valued as the keepers of cultural traditions, such as the passing down of genealogies. Traditionally parents would ask māhū to name their children.[3]
In modern popular culture, the term māhū may be used pejoratively to describe LGBTQ+ people, while māhū continue to hold a place of respect within Hawaiian culture and community.[4][5]