For the first time, Tonga's LGBTI community will be calling on government leaders to revise legislation in order to protect LGBTI people.
The Tonga Leiti's Association has planned a national consultation with government leaders in December to petition for changes to the Criminal Offences Act.
The Act criminalises cross-dressing and sodomy which can be punished with up to ten years in prison.
The Association's Project Officer, Henry Aho, says the 3-day consultation will coincide with the United Nation's International 16 Days of Activism campaign.
He spoke to Indira Stewart.
Members of Tonga’s LGBTI community at the Tonga Family Health Clinic.
Photo: Supplied
Transcript
HENRY AHO: This is going to be the first time that we actually invite people to come and sit around the table and talk to us and work together with us on such issues. Last year the Pacific Sexuality Diversity Network hosted a human rights conference here in Tonga and we had a few church groups who actually stayed outside the convention centre and protested with banners saying 'Go away with your immorality'. I think that was the first time we had an event like that here in Tonga. This national consultation will be the first time we actually step up, and it's just Tonga asking the Tongan government and all other sectors in Tonga to actually dialogue with us so that we could overcome these issues.
INDIRA STEWART: As we all know in the Pacific, well most Pacific countries including Tonga, is a staunchly religious country. There was a lot of opposition to CEDAW being ratified. Have you received much opposition from any religious community members in terms of voicing concerns about this legislation?
HA: Yes. We have, under good authority, a few religious organisations who are trying to actually reawaken these laws. They feel like, with the Sunday law being reinforced, so to speak, with bakeries not being allowed to serve customers on the Sabbath, they believe that the next step for them is to reawaken these laws so that the morale of the country is put in check there. We are being pro-activists in that we would like to remove or safeguard our members of our community and remove the likelihood of any member of our community being arrested because these laws are in place. We feel like, so long as these laws are in place, someone can use them against us even though they haven't been used to date.
IS: And in terms of getting push back from the church communities, how do your members feel? Is that scary?
HA: It is, it is. It's a lot preparation that we have to do within our own community to prepare our own members for the backlashes that this might have, for the opposition that we are likely to face. And to tell them of what lies ahead and why we need to do what we're doing. Because, if it's not us that will be affected, it will be other people that will be affected. So we are prepared for the opposition.
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