Rae-rae are transfeminine people in Tahitian culture. Whereas mahu, another cultural identity term, are regarded as an integral part of Maori tradition, history, and culture, rae-rae are generally less accepted in Tahitian society. They are regarded as the more modern equivalent to drag queens of the western world, and carry a negative connotation with ties to poverty and sex work. Rae-rae may be more likely than mahu to undergo gender reassignment surgery or other cosmetic surgeries. Additionally, the identity of rae-rae has closer ties to homosexuality, in contrast to mahu, which identify more with femininity and "sweetness" and may take a vow of chastity. Rae-rae is seen by some as an influence from western (i.e. French) culture, whereas the concept and history of mahu are purely Polynesian and untouched by western ideals. Rae-rae is also a controversial term in Tahiti because it is seen by some as incompatible with two Polynesian cultural ideas: firstly, that one's gender identity is defined before and thus determines one's sexuality; and secondly, that one's gender is constant throughout one's life instead of being fluid. However, some scholars suggest that the objections to rae-rae may be due to Christian influence and morality of sexual modesty.
The idea of a third gender or third sex is common in many cultures. Rae-rae in Tahiti is similar to Kathoey in Thailand, Kothi and Hijra in India, Femminiello in Italy and Muxe in Mexico.
History
It is a contemporary distinction originating in the 1960s from Māhū (meaning "in the middle"), which is the more traditional social category of gender liminal people of Polynesia [1]. Petea is a disparaging term for cis-male homosexuality (suggesting "men who sexually desire each other") used in French Polynesia [2], in contrast to traditional social category aikane used in Hawaii.