72

In many Pacific islands, and under a variety of designations, one finds people who are neither male nor female, half-women and half men. In French Polynesia mahus are defined as sweetened men or women trapped in men’s bodies. Historical accounts confirm their existence as well as their social functions. The arrival of missionaries and Christian morality contributed to the emergence of a new moral and sexual order. The mahus are still present and visible today. They are integrated into local professions and cultural life and are accepted as long as their sexuality is not expressed and remains invisible ( tabu). This article examines how this emblematic figure is linked to others ? that of the rae rae and of the vahiné ? and how this makes it possible to question gender categories thus challenging the binary approach to gender identities.