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Tonga Leitis' Association
The Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) is an advocacy and education organisation in Tonga, and is the only organisation in the country dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues. Background The Tonga Leitis Association (TLA) was founded in 1992 by Joey Joleen Mataele. Its first president was Papiloa Foliaki. It was initially founded in order to support Tonga's historic fakaleiti community. It is a member of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN). It is the sole LGBTQ+ rights organisation in Tonga. In 2021 its president, Polikalepo Kefu, was murdered. Campaigns In 2016 the association campaigned for greater legal protections for LGBTQ+ Tongans; in Tonga sodomy and transvestism are punishable by up to ten years in prison. Tonga's current homophobic attitudes are a product of British colonialism, despite the fact that Tonga has a rich history of transgender people, especially women, known as fakaleiti. Community provision The TLA runs a community centre and safehouse, which provides ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. As of 2021, according to Johnson's Tribune, Tonga has a population of 104,494, 70% of whom reside on the main island, Tongatapu. The country stretches approximately north-south. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest; Samoa to the northeast; New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu to the west; Niue (the nearest foreign territory) to the east; and Kermadec (New Zealand) to the southwest. Tonga is about from New Zealand's North Island. First inhabited roughly 2,500 years ago by the Lapita civilization, Tonga's Polynesian settlers gradually evolved a distinct and strong ethnic identity, language, and culture as the Tongan people. They were quick to establish a powerful footing acr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
