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TIGHTLY clutching one another鈥檚 hands, the five stand stock still on the centre of the stage. A steely spotlight picks them out in the dimly-lit and hushed hall as they await the judges鈥� decision.

Their make-up 鈥� smudge-free and glowing; their sequins 鈥� sparkling like the South Pacific night sky; their smiles frozen 鈥� but ready to beam should they be declared the winner.

The stakes are high: the winner of this contest will go on to compete in the global final in Samoa.

However, there was something different about this beauty pageant, held on a chilly August night in an RSL in Punchbowl, south west Sydney.

The majority of the contestants defined themselves not as women, or as men, but as fa鈥檃fafine.

Europeans reportedly first saw the m茫h煤of Tahiti, similar to the fa鈥檃fafine of Samoa and the fakaleiti in Tonga, in the late 18th century.

As the HMS Bounty sailed the Pacific islands, crew听members noted that some men displayed distinctly feminine traits.

The word fa鈥檃fafine is commonly translated into English as 鈥渋n the manner of a woman鈥�. But more than 200 years after the Bounty, defining fa鈥檃fafine through Western eyes remains difficult.

鈥淭here are numerous issues with attempting to translate a culturally specific term like this, and no Western concept really fully captures the ways in which Samoan people are fa鈥檃fafine,鈥� says Dr Johanna Schmidt, an expert on gender and sexuality at New Zealand鈥檚 University of Waikato and author of Migrating Genders, Westernisation, Migration, and Samoan Fa鈥檃fafine.

鈥淚 refer to 鈥榯ransgender鈥� myself, although I recognise that there are problems with this term too 鈥� usually I just say fa鈥檃fafine.鈥�

Schmidt explains that fa鈥檃fafine, or sometimes simply fa鈥檉a, are biologically male 鈥渂ut evidence greater levels of femininity than is usual for Samoan men鈥�.

How much femininity can vary greatly.

Backstage at the first-ever Miss Fa鈥檃fafine Australia competition, the five contestants are scurrying around busy with last minute preparations, as rumours fly some have spent thousands on their costumes.

Ella Collins, born in New Zealand but now living in western Sydney, talks to the 17c起草社区 as fellow fa鈥檃fafine fashion her long black locks.

鈥淚t鈥檚 full on,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e start off with the opening number and then creative wear followed by swimwear, evening gown, talent and then the siva,鈥� the latter being a traditional Samoan dance focused on graceful and subtle movements of the arms and hands.

鈥淔or the last two months I鈥檝e been working tight with my team, performance-wise and material-wise, making sure we鈥檙e in sync,鈥� Collins adds.

鈥淚鈥檝e got two former queens helping me, I鈥檝e grown up watching these fellow divas. I鈥檓 in good hands.鈥�

She also says she鈥檚 feeling calm: 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 hit me fully but when we鈥檙e side stage ready to go on with the girls, I think it will then.鈥�

Johana and Rochelle are putting the final touches to their costumes but admit they鈥檙e the odd ones out in the competition, being openly gay and not trans*.

鈥淎t first I didn鈥檛 want to compete against transgender because I haven鈥檛 followed their journey,鈥� Johana says.

鈥淏ut I also wanted to do it to gain my journey so I can show the younger generation you can be comfortable in your skin if you want to do drag, cross dress, be gay or trans*.鈥�

Rochelle says colonialisation has changed the way some Samoans regard fa鈥檃fafine.

鈥淏ack in the islands, in the olden days a guy can be fa鈥檃fafine like how in Australia it鈥檚 okay to be gay, but now it鈥檚 different 鈥� I think it鈥檚 religion and it鈥檚 getting hard,鈥� she says.

Schmidt says the level to which fa鈥檃fafine are accepted within Samoan society is complex. Some religious ministers suggest fa鈥檉a is sinful 鈥� she suspects they link it with homosexuality 鈥� but many fa鈥檉a attend church and are welcomed as an important part of community life.

Schmidt argues it鈥檚 the behaviour of individual fa鈥檃fafine that determines how society will regard them.

鈥淔a鈥檃fafine who look after children, do housework, bring cash into their families, help with church functions, or do any of the other things that mark a 鈥榞ood Samoan鈥� 鈥� that behaviour will be accepted,鈥� she says.

鈥淗owever, if fa鈥檃fafine are in bars propositioning tourists, this behaviour is not accepted 鈥� but it wouldn鈥檛 be accepted from a woman, either.鈥�

The president of the Samoan Fa鈥檃fafine Association (SFA), To鈥檕to鈥檕ali鈥檌 So鈥檕alo Roger Stanley concurs.

鈥淲e have responsibilities with our families, within the church, the village, and in return we [are] accepted well and part of the society,鈥� he says.

While many fa鈥檃fafine have relationships with men, as they are mostly considered to be a third gender neither the fa鈥檃fafine themselves, nor their partner, are assumed to be gay.

鈥淭he LGBTI thing, we trash all that鈥� Stanley says.

鈥淲e refer to LGBTI as medical terminologies, Western terminologies where you鈥檝e been categorised.

鈥淲ith us fa鈥檃fafine, the true definition is our chosen roles and that鈥檚 how we鈥檝e gained respect [but] we have to earn that respect, as well.鈥�

Homosexuality in Samoa remains illegal and the gay community has a far lower level of visibility than the fa鈥檃fafine community, with many Samoans who identify as gay, fa鈥檉a or otherwise, doing so overseas.

In fact, while marriage equality is now legal in New Zealand and some neighbouring islands which are governed by Western nations, much of the fa鈥檃fafine community is staying out of the fray in Samoa.

Perhaps this is because they have had to face battles closer to home. It was only in 2013 that a law criminalising men who dressed as women 鈥� rarely enforced as it was 鈥� was struck down. Although celebrated as a victory for the fa鈥檃fafine community, Schmidt says: 鈥淭he obvious rejoinder is that fa鈥檃fafine are not impersonating women 鈥� they are dressing and living听as fa鈥檃fafine.鈥�

Nowadays, it seems the seal of approval for fa鈥檃fafine goes right to the top with the Samoan Consul-General attending the Sydney contest and the Samoan Prime Minister the patron of the SFA which advocates for the needs of fa鈥檉a, runs vocational training and capacity building programs, organises the Miss Fa鈥檃fafine pageant and fundraises for needy causes such as aged care.

鈥淵ou can never find a fa鈥檃fafine in the stats of the suicidal,鈥� Stanley says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very strong people, very outspoken and we鈥檙e never lonely.

鈥淏ecome a fa鈥檉a, the whole world is yours.鈥�

The Australian beauty pageant is a full throttle mix of palagi (Western) and Samoan cultures, of feathery headdresses redolent of the Pacific islands, and shimmering evening wear depicting the Sydney skyline.

Contestant Sasha von Carter wows the crowd with a swimming costume flecked with sea creatures and coral inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, while La-geisha 鈥� all the way from Perth 鈥� awes the audience with a pair of giant golden wings, harking back to Cleopatra鈥檚 Egypt.

However, it is Collins鈥� high-energy (and distinctly tongue-in-cheek) mix of Beyonce and a war dance 鈥� and her message of trans* inclusion听 鈥� that wins over the judges.

鈥淜nowing there is a high suicide rate among transgenders, I want to be an advocate to stop that and bring awareness to help those kids,鈥� she says.

鈥淲estern society could really learn from Samoa in a sense of how open minded people are and that鈥檚 something Samoa has to offer the world.鈥�

Three weeks later, in Apia, Collins鈥� will live up to her promise to do Australia proud by coming second in the Miss Fa鈥檃fafine final 鈥� pipped to the post by Miss Auckland.

Despite the audience鈥檚 effusive response, Rochelle isn鈥檛 sure she will return to the Sydney pageant next year.

鈥淚鈥檓 going back to Rodney 鈥� it鈥檚 just too much hard work and it鈥檚 too expensive. Rochelle has to be a millionaire to do this,鈥� she jokes.

However, she commends the fa鈥檃fafine: 鈥淚 applaud the girls going through this transition to be who they are and I embrace them.

鈥淔or us it鈥檚 an experience and we鈥檝e loved it.鈥�

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**This article was first published in the October听edition of the 17c起草社区, which is . To obtain a physical copy, to find out where you can grab one in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and select regional/coastal areas.