Reflecting on the LGBTQI+ Law and Reform symposium

On Friday, 19 February 2021 ILGA Oceania with the support of SPC and the Netherlands Embassy, are invited all ILGA Oceania/ ILGA World members to a virtual LGBTQI+ Law and Reform Symposium.

Those people who attended the symposium heard Rainbow Activist Voices of the Pacific from Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Island, New Caledonia, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea - responding to the following questions:

“What do Rainbow Pacific Communities identify as the most pressing issue, policy or law within their countries that breaches human rights, focusing specifically on climate change, COVID-19 or decriminalization?”

Samoa - Alex Su’a

Alex is the President of the Samoa Fa’afafine Association. Graduated with LLB Bachelor of Law from the University of the South Pacific 2004. Alex is a Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public and Partner at Stowers & Su'a Lawyers from 2018 to present. “They are a strongly consultative group, working with religious and community leaders to try and change negative attitudes towards fa’afafine, fata’ama and L.G.B.T.I. people in Samoa. For S.F.A, changing attitudes is the first step to eventually changing laws. In 2013, the S.F.A successfully lobbied for the repeal of the Crimes Ordinance Act 1961 which criminalised the impersonation of a female by any male in Samoa. Though police stopped enforcing the law by the early 1980s, the repeal was seen as a win for fa’afafine who are still victimised for being different.”

Kiribati - Tebeio Tamton

Tebeio Tamton holds an MSc in Food Science and Technology from the University of New South Wales (AUS), Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Aquaculture from the University of Saint Andrews (SCT), and a BSc in Marine Science from the University of the South Pacific (FIJ). He is currently working for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and Development of Kiribati within the Seafood Verification Division as a Principal Verification Officer. He is the founding member and volunteering advisor of Boutokaan Inaomataia ao Mauriia Binabinaine Association (BIMBA), the only LGBT-oriented CSO in Kiribati that was officially established in late 2016. As an emerging LGBT advocate in Kiribati, he has been working with the BIMBA community to advocate and campaign for the recognition and visibility of the binabinaine community to mitigate discrimination, stigmatization, and violence against them that are based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

Papua New Guinea - David Aoneka Lawrence 

David is a Youth Worker with a demonstrated history of 10 years, started his Advocacy Work as a Humanist at the age of 17. He works as the Principal Advisor of the National Youth Development Authority and provides free Consultancy assistance to charity organizations during his free time on Youth Leadership and Governance, Human Rights, Advocacy Strategies, and developing tools for Youth Mobilization: free of charge. David is one of the first Papua New Guineans to have a podcast channel called "Yut Tok with David Aoneka Lawrence" where conversations around Social, Economic, Environmental and Political aspects of youth development are hosted with ordinary youth, professional Youth/Social Workers and Development Specialists. The podcast is hosted once a month on Anchor FM, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, Overcast and Radio Public. This podcast is rebranding to a Digital Talk Show called UNBOX which is debuting in March 2021. David founded a community initiative in 2017 called the #MenandBoysToo, an event that brings men and boys during the 16 days of Activism as a safe space to discuss all forms of violence that affects our society and redefining masculinity in Papua New Guinea while grooming men and boys to stand up for equality. Mr Lawrence also serves on the Policy Advocacy Committee of the Commonwealth Youth Human Rights and Democracy Network and he is the Pacific Regional Lead for the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network #Reform53 Campaign which is a call to member states to reform all laws that discriminate against, women, girls and LGBTQI persons in the Commonwealth. David has a strong background on Human Rights and Youth Development Policy. A certified Youth Work Practitioner recognized as the first Papua New Guinean Commonwealth Youth Champion for INCLUSION- in the “Gender Agenda” by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2018 after he completed his tenure as the Special Interest Groups Representative of the Commonwealth Youth Council from 2015 to 2017. He co-founded the global disability campaign called #IAmAble during his leadership. He is also the pioneer winner for the PNG Young Men of Honor Award 2017-2018 cohort and recognized by the World Youth Foundation on his contributions towards global partnerships Against Early and Arranged Child Marriage in 2016. He was appointed by the European Commission in 2017 as a scholar and Peace Ambassador to the One Young World Organization and a fellow of the International Institute of Economics and Peace. He was recently selected as an OBAMA Young Leader for the Asia Pacific Inaugural Cohort 2019. Affiliations: Torrens University Australia 2020- Dip. Leadership & Management, Université catholique de Louvain 2019-MM International Human Rights Law, Institue of Economics and Peace 2018- RF Peace Building, University of Papua New Guinea Open Campus 2014-CTCS

Cook Islands - Janette Oliver 

Janette Oliver. is a Cook Islander who has been living in the Cook Islands since moving there from NZ in 2008. She has been involved in several LGBTI++ groups over the past 20+ years and has been a member of the Te Tiare Association for 5 years and on the executive committee for the past 2. TTA is the national LGBT advocate group and they have been spearheading the campaign for decriminalization - Pride Cook Islands.

Tonga - Taufu’i Naufahu (pronounced Fu’i)

(He/His) 32 yrs of age and employed under the Ministry of Justice; Legal, Leadership and Policy Division as Legal Adviser. Graduated with LLB from the University of the South Pacific. A TLA member and also an environment and climate change youth activist based here in Tonga.

Tahiti - Sarah-marie Cabon 

Associate Professor in Private and Criminal Law University of French Polynesia, Tahiti, South Pacific Member of the Pacific Islands University Research Network (PIURN) Associate Member of the Justice & Criminal Sciences Institute of Bordeaux, France

Fiji - Miki Wali  

Director - Haus of Khameleon. (Feminist Activist) Passion is within Human Rights Law and Political Transformation.