Palopa is a term used in Papua New Guinea and the diaspora as a non-heteronormative term for people who may identify in Western nomenclature as either gay, transsexual, or having a third gender role.[1][2][3][4] LGBTQ+ activist Clint Woolly has described how Western terminology is stigmatised by many in Papua New Guinea and argued that indigenous descriptors, such as palopa, should be adopted and adapted.[5] For the Sambian people, the phrase kwolu-aatmwol describes a third gender identity.[5] Terminology is also borrowed from other Pacific communities, for example the term 'sister-girl' from Torres Strait Islanders.[6]
| Classification | Gender identity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other terms | |||||
| Associated terms | Fakaleiti, Two-spirit, Trans woman, Akava'ine, Māhū | ||||
| Demographics | |||||
| |||||
Etymology
editThe phrase comes from Tok Pisin.[5] It is reportedly a contraction of the name of the singer Jennifer Lopez.[6]
References
edit- ^ Stewart, Christine (2014-12-02). Name, Shame and Blame: Criminalising Consensual Sex in Papua New Guinea. ANU Press. pp. xxi. ISBN 978-1-925021-22-6.
- ^ "Glossary of LGBTIQ+ Language". OutLine Aotearoa. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^ Worth, Heather (2011-10-01). "Is the Myth of the Bisexual Infector Still a Myth? Reflections on HIV Risk and Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women". Journal of Bisexuality. 11 (4): 488–492. doi:10.1080/15299716.2011.620824. ISSN 1529-9716. S2CID 143515533.
- ^ Mayron, Sapeer (2022-02-14). "Landmark health survey of rainbow Pasifika launches". Stuff. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
- ^ a b c Woolly, Clint (2016-10-28). "Reclaiming our rainbow cultural identities". Rainbow Papua New Guinea. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ a b Besnier, Niko; Alexeyeff, Kalissa (2014-12-31). Gender on the Edge: Transgender, Gay, and Other Pacific Islanders. University of Hawaii Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-8248-4019-8.