The Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) is an advocacy and education organisation in

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 ...

, and is the only organisation in the country dedicated to

LGBTQ+ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

issues.

Background

The Tonga Leitis Association (TLA) was founded in 1992 by

Joey Joleen Mataele Joey Joleen Mataele is an activist for the rights of transgender women from Tonga. Activism In 1992, Mataele co-founded the Tonga Leitis Association, and became its executive director. She is also the Pacific Island Representative on the Interna ...

. 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 Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

and

transvestism Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western c ...

are punishable by up to ten years in prison. Tonga's current homophobic attitudes are a product 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 ...

, 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 a safe space for the community to use, as well as raising awareness on LGBTQ+ issues. The association runs a safe house, called ‘Ofa he Paea’, for members of the LGBTQ+ community in Tonga who have been forced away from their homes by

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

and

transphobia Transphobia is a collection of ideas and phenomena that encompass a range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger tow ...

. The centre was opened in 2013 by HRH Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu Tuita; it was named by her daughter the Hon. Salote Lupepau’u Tuita. It was damaged by Cyclone Gita in 2018 and had to be rebuilt. The centre is the first of its kind in the Pacific.

HIV/AIDS

This first AIDS patient in Tonga was diagnosed in 1979 and they were a member of Tonga's fakaleiti community. As of 2020, the TLA held quarterly HIV testing events across the whole country.

Climate crisis

In 2021 the TLA was awarded a grant by the UK-based charity GiveOut, in order to establish a training programme for those who run emergency shelters, to raise awareness of specific needs members of the LGBTQ+ community. It also campaigns for LGBTQ+ representatives in discussions about climate change.

Culture

The TLA runs the Miss Galaxy Pageant beauty pageant, which raises awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in Tonga and has become a popular event. It has been closely involved with the HIV crisis in Tonga, advocating for better healthcare provision by the Tongan government. In 2018 the TLA collaborated on a one-hour documentary called ''

Leitis in Waiting ''Leitis In Waiting'' is a 2018 feature-length documentary about transgender rights in Tonga. It was produced and directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. The filmmakers previously explored trans rights in the Pacific in th ...

''. It was screened at the Nuku'alofa Film Festival. Its premier was at the Festival of Commonwealth Film in London. In October 2021 association president Taufu’i ‘Ae Valu Naufahu was awarded a Commonwealth Points of Light award for his exceptional voluntary service supporting the LGBTQI community.

References

External links

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2020 Community Organisation-Tonga Leitis’ Association (Tonga)
{{Authority control LGBT rights organizations Organisations based in Tonga Transgender rights