Fun Fast Facts:

Updated:   5 Aug 2014   (Kicking Goals)

• American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean.
• American Samoa is small enough to have just one ZIP code, 96799, and uses the U.S. Postal Service for mail delivery.
• It is reported that 98% of the population identifies as Christian.
• Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1980.
• Same-sex couples are not eligible for all of the same protections available to opposite-sex married couples.
• A bill that would have banned the recognition of same-sex marriages in the territory was defeated in the Senate in 2003.
• Fa’afafine are a third-gendered people of Samoan cultures embodying both masculine and feminine gender traits.

Kicking Goals

Broadcast: 5 Aug 2014

LGBTIQ-friendly organisation: Society of Fa’afafine in American Samoa – S.O.F.I.A.S.

• The mission of the Society of Fa’afafine in American Samoa is to foster stable relationships amongst the fa’afafine community in American Samoa by providing educational outreach events, promoting maturity and respect towards others that will enable individuals to achieve educational goals and to contribute to the social and cultural well being of every fa’afafine living in American Samoa.
• To conduct seminars, workshops, and meetings to promote:
  • health care and HIV/AIDS educational outreach.
  • harmony amongst Fa’afafine, LGBTI and the community.
  • human rights and cultural identity.
  • positive attitudes within the community.

W3JOY interviewed: Jaiyah Saelua, the world’s first transgender professional footballer (soccer)

“When we won, a lot of people were proud of our accomplishments and because we were making world news, a lot of people took an interest in it. And the Governor of American Samoa actually flew down to watch the final match against Samoa…and I think that’s the first time he’s ever done that.”
 
“A lot of the fa’afafine in American Samoa are able to live out their lives whichever way they want. Just recently in Samoa, fa’afafine just now are allowed to wear women’s clothing to work, which is a great accomplishment”
 
“In American Samoa, the people are very liberal. The people are accepting of gays also. They’re very understanding of gays.”
 
“In the Cook Islands I felt like I was more of a target more than any of the other players in the team, probably because my tackles were tough.”