Pacific Islanders and Sexual Orientation

When examining the experiences of Pacific Islanders, it is crucial to recognize how myriad methodologies, strategies of resistance, and theoretical interventions span a large window of time—ranging from the perpetuation of cultural erasure and forced assimilation to the reclamation of indigenous epistemology and practices. Therefore, in attempting to articulate a succinct picture of sexual diversity among Pacific Islanders, it is important to acknowledge the effects of temporality, colonization, and sovereignty on gender identity and sexuality. While acknowledging the use and misuse of these tools and the parameters of the current literature, an immediate objective is to highlight indigenous Pacific Islander perspectives on sexualities in accompaniment with the Western notion of linear time (e.g., prior to colonization, during colonization, and postcolonization). In this entry, historical identity ...