The Te Tiare Association (TTA) is the LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

. It works to celebrate the country's '

akava'ine Akava'ine is a Cook Islands Māori word which has come, since the 2000s, to refer to transgender people of Māori descent from the Cook Islands. It may be an old custom but has a contemporary identity influenced by other Polynesians, through cros ...

, akatututane and LGBT communities.

Background

The Te Tiare Association Inc. (TTA) was formally incorporated on 30 November 2007 at the

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

High Court. It is an organisation established to bring together 'akava'ine in the Cook Islands for education and advocacy purposes. On 21 June 2008 the Te Tiare Association was officially launched as part of a partnership with the Pacific Islands Aids Foundation. It is the only LGBTQ+ advisory group in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

Campaigns

From its inception the TTA has promoted sexual health awareness, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and the prevention of HIV. Community building has also been an important aspect of its purpose, since some members of its communities are estranged from their families due to their identities and sexualities. The TTA campaigns for the repeal of discriminatory laws in the Cook Islands which make homosexuality illegal. In order to counter the current legal situation the TTA is using Section 64 of the Cook Islands Constitution, which protects people from discrimination. The campaign organised by the TTA has become known as the Pride Campaign. Activist Sonya Apa Temata organised a petition in 2020, which gathered over 5000 signatures of people for were in favour of a repeal of the laws against homosexuality.

Louisa Wall Louisa Hareruia Wall (born 17 February 1972) is a former New Zealand Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2011 to 2022. She has represented New Zealand in both netball as a Silver Fern and rugby union as a m ...

MP has been vocal in support of the TTA's work, stating that the Cook Islands homophobic laws are a direct inheritance of

British colonialism The British Empire was composed of the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. I ...

. In 2020 Cook Islander, Alex Nicholls, married his husband in Australia due to the criminalisation of homosexuality there. In 2019 the TTA led a campaign which challenged a ban on the screening of the

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

biopic ''

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'' which was due to be imposed by the Chief Censor. The TTA successfully argued that a ban was unconstitutional.

Culture

The Te Tiare Association organised the Cook Islands inaugural Pride Day in 2020, however the event was cancelled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The TTA dance troupe performed in 2021 at the Cook Islands Business and Professional Women's Association's (BPW) International Women's Day event.

Notable people

* Tuaine, Lady Marsters (patron) * Val Wichman (former president) * Regina Potina (former president)

References

External links

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

TAGATA PASIFIKA: Pearls of Meganesia are a group of young Fa'afafine and Akavaine
{{Authority control Cook Islands LGBT organizations based in Oceania Transgender organizations