Hawaiian

Māhū

The literal translation of the Hawaiian word Māhū is “in the middle.” It generally refers to a person whose biological sex is male with masculine and feminine gender expression. These people played a fundamental role in the traditional culture of the island, however with western and homophobic colonization, social rejection and aggressions of a part of society began, so the first definition offered by this dictionary was “faggot”. That is why there are local activists who prefer the term transgender because it is more inclusive. Māhū is a term that can now be used if it is to refer respectfully to transgender and gay people of both sexes.