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Good afternoon, everyone. Um, I'm just gonna give you a AAA little bit of background about the the association. Um, the TL A was, uh, established in 1992 when we first, um, it's a thought from when we first had the, um the first HIV and AIDS person, Um, who is a very dear friend [00:00:30] of mine and, uh, also a member of our transgender community association. And, um, when the family brought him back, um, from the states to die in Tonga, I just so happened to be on the same plane. And I didn't even know that he was on the flight until we took off, took off from from Hawaii. And, um, my cousin, who was working for for Hawaiian Airlines, [00:01:00] came up to me and said, Joe, can you help me out? And I said this was 1987 right? And you think that the United States are already in knowledgeable of HIV and all that, but no, the workers of Hawaiian Airlines didn't want to serve him because he was They knew he was a a HIV. I mean, he was an AIDS person. Um, because of the medical, it he was transferred from one hospital to to the [00:01:30] other. But anyways, we finally made it through, um, from from, uh, Hawaii to after sitting there because the whole trip was more like, uh, we've cried. We've talked about the past we the things that we went through because both of us sing and, um, in school, we used to be that we used to think [00:02:00] that we were the best singer on earth, you know? And, um and, uh, thank you. Hi. Um, So two months before that, before we came, when I got to the States, he called. He called me to Los Angeles for me to come and see him come and visit him and he'll pay for me to come. And I said, Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. The [00:02:30] whole week that I was there, he was trying to open up to me to tell me that he's got AIDS, that he was dying. He's on that stage, but he couldn't have the guts to tell me. So even I even left. So by the time I got to, we got to to Hawaii. When we finally came on the flight, I was so angry, I was more angry at him for not telling me the truth. And I totally forgot [00:03:00] that he was an AIDS person. I think the the love between friends was more stronger than thinking of the disease of the epidemic. And, um but what caught me later, when we arrived in Tonga, the the hospital was already there, the ambulance and everything. And when we got off the flight, you thought that you see [00:03:30] moon walkers. They were all covered up from top to bottom. That's it. The only thing you see is this. And it was a What's this? What's going on? And, um, somebody said, Oh, they're here for for Edward. And I said, Oh, so I, I left. But after Edward died, they found out that I was with him on the flight. [00:04:00] Then they came and harassed me. The Ministry of Health harassed me to come and have HIV testing because I was sitting next to him because the father said, When I got on the flight, when I came and sit with her, I told the father to go and sit on the side and let me sit with him. Let the father rest because I know the family very well. And, um, [00:04:30] he vomited and everything during the flight, you know? And but I wasn't I. I wasn't thinking, but I was more worried about what's going on. So anyways, when they finally, um, got me to come and have my blood test, that's when I had the fear, whether this is right or not. So here I am, 24 hours Googling what's because [00:05:00] II I don't know whether I was I really knew what I was doing, you know? And, um So after I got tested, I, I, uh I was negative. And then from 1987 to 1992 4 doctors started, uh, got together and, um, decided to see what they can do for our community [00:05:30] to educate them on health on HIV how to protect themselves. Because, of course, condom was there, but nobody knew about. I mean I mean, they knew how what what's it for? But we couldn't be bothered using it, you know, Um And then in 1992 when we started the the association, we started with five members and, um, the full name of the [00:06:00] association. Yes, it should be to, but of course, in Tonga. Everything is you know, it's And uh um is, um, like a proper way of saying thank you to elderly people. And when you're addressing formal, you know, So everything in Tonga is [00:06:30] So instead of using that, we said, Oh, because the first correspondence that we did with trying to get fund um, when we first started was someone turned around and said, What does mean? OK, this is enough already. I think we'll take the FA K a part and just use because it sounds better at the same time, we didn't really like the sound of [00:07:00] the people calling us because it sounded like a poop, like saying or faggot or, you know, and and and just the way they express it, you know, And um so is a woman or like a lady or Yeah. And, uh So because the transgender community or the community were more visible, we decided [00:07:30] to start off with that with the ladies organising a group together. So five of us got together and started the the the association. We got registered in the government, um, had a constitution registered, and then the next move was trying to get someone in the hierarchy level to be a patron. So we, [00:08:00] um, approached Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal to and, um, ask her because she was the patron for the Family Health Association or the Tong Family Planning, Um, association. And, um, when we went and asked her, she said, Um, OK, I don't want to be your patron because I'm already a patron of the [00:08:30] family planning, um, of the Tong Family Association. Um, I think it's better that I get my daughter to be your patient. Um, so she picked up the phone while we were sitting there on, um, and called New Zealand. She was still in, was still in and called her and said, Uh uh, Joe is here with, um be [00:09:00] asking if you can be Would you be, uh, the patron for the association? And, um, she said yes. From then on, Princess has been our patron up to today for 24 years now, and a lot has achieved through I mean, um, cutting the the barriers. Um, and I mean, there's there's still a few [00:09:30] things that needs to be done, you know, um, the problem with with with, um with Tonga is. Association has long has a long and complex history. You know, it's a history of, um, survival, Um, history that has been governed by, uh, um with diverse and contesting ways of understanding. Um, but, um, it situates them outside the normal [00:10:00] or the, um, Tongan ways, You know, in the society, um, mainly because of their distinctive behaviours and perceived falling outside the Tongan ways. Um and, um, some. Somehow it it needs to be, um, we recognise that through the, uh, positioning outside the or the ways there is [00:10:30] tendency to perceive TL a and its people in a simplicity simplistic way that does treat them, treat them marginal. Marginal. Um um community. And, um, can I just ask, was it marginalised pre colonisation? Or did that happen after colonisation or you really? You really colonised as such, Um, which [00:11:00] gave which Elizabeth's, um uh, presentation yesterday gave us an idea. You know of that? We need to go back to the roots to when Tonga started before colonisation. You know, because there was with the history of Tonga, there was no labelling, no barriers, no. Everybody was treated the same. The only one that was different was making that the was [00:11:30] the king. And there was always the the three standards of King Noble and commoners, you know, but but yeah, yeah, but there was no difference between LGBT. Everybody was the same, you know, um, and one thing I I noticed when I was when I was a kid. Um, growing up with my grandmother, going [00:12:00] to the palace every weekend, every single shift at the palace because the the king and the queen had their own chef. The crown prince had his own chef. The princess and the rest of the the royal Children had their own chef, you know, And they were all gay. No one was straight at all, you know, And and some of them got married, but still gay. You know, they still had a little relationship [00:12:30] here and there. But there was no talk, you know, or a fuss about it because of their, uh, status or gender. You know, um, and growing up in a I had I had a really weird way of growing up because I because, well, my mother passed away when I was five months old, and I grew up in a couple that were [00:13:00] both founders of the two biggest strong churches in Tonga, Mormon and Catholic. And, um, my grandmother was Catholic, and that's why I'm a Catholic and my grandfather was a Mormon, And, uh, when I grew up with him, there was no confliction or no fighting over any religion at all. You know, when it's when it was the moment celebration [00:13:30] was going on, all of us will get ready. Go to the moments when the Catholic celebration goes on the whole lot of the moment. Children and grandchildren went to the Catholic. There was no fighting, no labelling, no, you know, over of a religion. So I grew up with that knowledge of that peace, you know, within the family. And I had that foundation. My problem started [00:14:00] when I grew up, and I and I left school when I was in Form two. I was That was year eight. and my grandmother was always saying right and the life you've chosen will be very hard for you. But if you need, if you want to be [00:14:30] somebody, you have to learn to forgive. Forgive yourself for what you've chosen, because if you do not forgive yourself you won't be able to forgive others. All the negativity that you go through, you're not gonna be able to deal with it unless you learn to forgive. Because forgive is better than sacrifice. Because I know you. And she was pointing out in my right in my face that you have a temper [00:15:00] that could kill anybody. And so I grew up with that. But the problem I had was was with my brother and my father because I was never close to my father. Well, I never knew my father until I went to high school. Um, until I saw my birth certificate that grandpa was not my my my real father. But anyways, my father was more OK [00:15:30] with me being a but he wasn't good with me wearing dresses and, um, in 14. Well, in my when I was a baby, when I turned one, I was dressed in a KK dress Cos. And I was carried by my by my auntie. So to me, I, I think I as I grew up, it wasn't because someone dressed [00:16:00] me. It was a natural thing to grow up in as a AT, you know, like because there's There's so much writing up on this on the situations that your seven boys and the youngest one will be treated or dressed as a as a as a as a female, you know, to me, that's not right, because if you're dressed up as a girl or treated like a girl, a lot of boys in Tonga are treated like a girl. You do the errands, [00:16:30] the women's errands, and you help your mother at home. But that doesn't make you AAA that person. Just grow up and be a guy, you know. And so but a lot of us who grew up as a woman who feels like a woman live as a woman, um, has grown up since birth to what we are today, you know, And to me, that's I mean to me personally is a natural thing. Uh, like a one year old, [00:17:00] you were showing signs of being a late. I was I was, as my grandmother was saying, um, as I grew up, I seem to be, um, closer. I mean, doing female stuff and I'll be sitting there. I think I was, uh, one, or I mean two or three years old and she had her pearls [00:17:30] on the on the on the desk. I think she just came back from a function, took her pearls and put it on the on the table and I'll be walking over. But instead of her stopping me, she was watching me the whole time, whether I was gonna break it or I don't know. But instead of breaking it, I picked it up and buckled it [00:18:00] up again, you know, and she then I instead of throwing it, I put it back in. She had a little box and put it and put it in the box. You know, I she was noticing me, and then I seemed to be on the mirror all the time combing my hair. That's I think that's why I was a beautician. Um, and I seem to be wearing liking to wearing dresses, you know, And, um [00:18:30] So when I grew up, I had that femininity and, you know, um, in me and and trying all the time, even in school, that's II. I guess that I don't know, but I got beaten up quite a few. Yeah, Yes. And But while I was going through that or you call it transition or whatever? Um, [00:19:00] I had a hard time for with my brother, my one of my eldest brother. Um, I got roped, hanged, almost choked about six times and just trying. He was trying hard for me to speak like a man, talk like a man, act like a man. But it never worked. You know, I was going through a whole lot of shit from a lot [00:19:30] of my family members, you know? And even my father had almost beat me up in the middle of the of a government function for coming in and address. Um, but I remember the first time I even walked into church when I was 14 in a blue pleater dress. I think that was the biggest flow show ever at Mass. [00:20:00] And, of course, my grandmother was always sitting at the front, so I had to take her up to the front the whole time. Everything. I. I think the father just ended up stopping because everybody wasn't watching him. Everybody was watching us walking. Then my grandmother. All I could hear was my grandmother said, Sit down. So I sat down. Then the father continued on from that day, I worn dresses [00:20:30] to church up to today and through just instead of me trying to prove something, I and instead II I went, I went in and joined the community. You know, I went and help out with the choirs, the youth, the Sunday school, you know, whatever I can do to help, you know, [00:21:00] so that the church can just stop all the labelling and everything you know, and get my transgender community to come in and help in whatever way, you know, Um, it was a lot more easier then for us to be who we are and to dress up the way we are every day to church, [00:21:30] to a party, to a government function to anywhere. You know, um, but at the at the same time, it wasn't easy when you're going out to the rural areas of the country, because when it came to to HIV education going out to the to the to the villages, it was [00:22:00] more challenging than you living in town, you know, because as soon as you turn around and say we're here to educate you on HIV and AIDS, they all turn around, stood up and say, Who are you? Why don't you go to the down to the city area? To your kind. To your kind. You know, Why don't you go to your kind? They are the ones who are going. We go out and do sinful [00:22:30] things and boy and whatever. So one thing that's good is that we find that it is very useful to actually have your data, your HIV testing data, you know, to show them that I mean, since 1992 to today all our 148 members are HIV [00:23:00] free. So having that proves to them and also the national data saying, Excuse me out of the 19 people over here, none of these are a AAA trend. The ones that are still still sick up to today are the so called ST Straight Church goers like you, You, you and you. You know, [00:23:30] So that helped out helped a lot. But I don't know maybe that saying you know, you can take the man out of the bush, but you can never take the bush out of the man. That mentality still sticks in their mind, you know? Then they change the the the the wording to OK, forget about the HIV and AIDS. Why don't you go [00:24:00] and read the Bible? I remember on the first when we first started the association, our first ever workshop was with the church leaders, the actual presidents. And, you know, the top clergy of all the churches. The first president of the Tong Eighties Association, who is our founder, who is Mrs Palo Fo straight [00:24:30] woman as she owned a nightclub in in to a hotel and the she's the first female member of Parliament. Um and, um right when we when we had the first workshop, uh, with the church leaders after formality, one of the president of the Church of Tonga stood up and and [00:25:00] said, You you are a sinner. You collect all these Children over here to promote their sexual sodomy life, and he went on and on and on and on, and, uh, after that, he sat down. Then Mrs stood up and said, um paid her respects and Honourable Minister. [00:25:30] So so And so I'd like to ask you, which bible are you reading? Because the Bible I'm reading is totally different from what you're saying. You're reading the Bible I'm I'm reading is I mean says, do not judge and love your neighbours. These Children are my neighbours. My neighbours is not the people that are staying at my hotel. My [00:26:00] neighbour is not my sister That's staying from across the road or the or the Tongan who brings me food every Sunday? No, these are my neighbours Strangers. I don't even know who they are. But I love them because they are a member of our community and they belong to this community. That is the reason why I brought them together to form this network For us [00:26:30] to recognise that these Children belongs in this community and they belong in this country that we need to help them. If you want their lives to be good, then you better give them the support. Otherwise you're just gonna chase them away and they're gonna move from one bad situation to another. So you tell me, which bible are you reading? Because I'm sure we're reading the different total different Bible altogether. So [00:27:00] after she sat down, then the bishop, then the late bishop of Catholic bishop, stood up and calm things down and said, Maybe it's time for us church leaders to get out of our comfort zone, you know, and be good shepherds. If you want to be good shepherds, we need to recognise the the work that this lady is doing. So since [00:27:30] then, things has been, was a little better. We still have one particular church that are still against us, you know, And, uh, I don't know whether any of you saw one of the the first ever Pacific LGBT conference that we had held in Tonga last year. We had that particular church of 12 people standing [00:28:00] outside from across the road with a banner Get out of our country. We don't need homosexuality. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You are evil, you know, and all that. I think it just made us more determined to make sure that the conference was going on until it's finished. And we made so much noise from across the road from we had live entertainment at lunch time. [00:28:30] And, um, yeah, but we had a, um We had quite a lot of good feedback from the community that we worked with. Um, ok, should I stop here and let you guys ask questions? Entertained I [00:29:00] and like chocolate. Enjoying whatever. So would you like to say something? We When? When In in your own In your own culture. The what does that exactly mean? Like a lady. See, the the the real word is more, um, more related to to the Samoan word. [00:29:30] Yeah, um, it's the The was never a common word. It was. That was a word that was brought in by all these researchers. That right, that came to do researches about. We never used, you know? Then when we started using that, um, that that's when we decided to take the FA K a part, you know, [00:30:00] um and just use. But it wasn't a tradition. It's not a traditional word for but can a can a person identifies as a male? But it's a feminine. Can he be considered a lazy? No, but we call everyone. And because we don't really have a specific word for G, BT, IQIQ and all that and some of them, maybe we I know of of two members [00:30:30] of our of our association are intersex. But I had to actually explain to them why I'm classifying them as intersex. So they know the difference between LGBTI Q. You know, um, but when it comes to all those terminologies, we don't use that back at home. So we just use everybody late, even a lesbian. We call them, you know, even the I mean, the common conversation [00:31:00] at home is like, um, as soon as a lesbian walk in to, you know, just to visit or to all our our get together. Oh, lady. Hello. Come, come in. You know, so everybody is a lady we don't have, You know, we don't really It it kind of means that anyone who identifies opposite to his or her set aside and it's just really interesting because [00:31:30] you you guys never really used that word. It was other people who actually Yeah, actually labelled that, um What about gay men? They are, Yeah. We have got a food game, and, you know, the the the lesbians are not as visible as the the G and the L and the B. You know, um and T [00:32:00] Yeah. I notice that in the Polynesian culture cooks, the lesbians are invisible, and if they're visible, they don't want to come. They some of them like it. I know that the the the lesbian. Um, uh, community don't really want to come and join the, um, the transgender [00:32:30] community, you know, they'd rather be on their own. And they do their own thing. Yeah, I think one of maybe one of the reasons could be the whole framing. The whole organising of the lay has been framed in such a way. They can only cater to the specific needs of like, how do you Yeah, and not to address the other issues. Not only not [00:33:00] only that, but it's because it's but because none of them were very comfortable to come in to come out publicly, you know, until we invited them to to come and join us. Then we had a couple to join us when we first started. Now we've got about eight that are actually out, but they don't want to form their own organisation. They just want to be [00:33:30] in within the the ladies association. Um, because they feel more comfortable. They don't want to be because a lot of of people, they rather see transgender LA than dealing with lesbians. You know, um, after I addressed that particular church that came and stood with the banner, then that president of the church changed his [00:34:00] method of preaching the very next Sunday and saying, OK, if, uh the transgenders, the ladies are fine, but the lesbians blah, blah, blah, blah. He was totally against lesbian. I said, what a bloody freaking hypocrite. And I even posted on that on Facebook. I said, How can you teach about ladies that are OK? But no lesbian? You come from a family. Your family are just full of lesbians. Left, [00:34:30] right and centre. Yeah. So does that apply to all Pacific islands? The terms? Yeah. The the lesbians come to, um, or visible enough. Fiji is totally They've got their Yeah, yeah. Um, I think the bisexual, um, bisexuals are invisible. Yeah, [00:35:00] we only have, like, a certain amount of people who identify intersex. I just know one who plays rugby for the Fijian rugby women's team. Yeah, I think there's a lot of things, you know, not a lot of conversation around intersex in the Pacific. Um, I'm really interested to know more because we were talking about back at home just recently. How you guys have gone ahead with your economic empowerment. Uh, work? [00:35:30] You guys are opening a cafe. That's pretty impressive. Um, the solidarity within the late session. There's something we can find in Fiji for the trans movement. Very like, you know, just activist, not holistic development, you know, in sub generation, their livelihood, uh, sustainable livelihoods. We are just focused on human rights work. But the late what we see, they, they're [00:36:00] like in when they are working within the LGBT community, they're not only strengthening their knowledge and information on HIV and human rights, they also building the capacity. I mean, building on the talent that's already there in sewing in performance income generation. Amazing. Well, it took a lot of conversations, you know? And, um, a few international trips [00:36:30] to actually abuse them there. You know, the government representatives that came, um, to all the CS W and all that, um because they go and do their reports that everything's fine, you know? But the government hasn't even done anything to help them. The marginalised communities, you know, um, the sexual minority organisations. So, um, [00:37:00] TL a has been running with no funding, no core funding at all, you know? And we have. When we first started in 1992 we decided that we'll have because, to be honest with you, none of us were well educated. The whole five members were not well educated, you know. And, um uh, for our first president was the only well educated person. And, um, because in Tonga, [00:37:30] it's so small that every single week, there's a church fundraising for every church, you know, and it's the same people. You, you know, the youths and the sports will have their fundraising, and it's the same people you ask every day. So we decided that we'll have a pageant. That's when we started the the, um, Miss Galaxy Queen pageant. So Miss Galaxy Queen pageant [00:38:00] had fund. Has funded the ladies association up to today, Not only just paying the bills, but no, the The only thing we don't have a paid staff. Everything is based on volunteer work. Um, it funds for this year we've funded, um, our 52. Yeah. 52 [00:38:30] um, scholarships for our school dropouts. Um, we've been able to secure jobs for those who graduated. Starting started businesses for them. Um um And then in nine in 2013, we finally were able to establish an office. We worked from my [00:39:00] little, um, business with and even from home the whole time. Um, now we've established an office and, uh, then in into that, then when we Yeah, when we first when we opened the the the office, we invited our cardinal now our new cardinal, to come and bless the office. And he was gracious enough to come and and, uh and and bless it. [00:39:30] And, um also, we had our Princess Royal to come and do the actual opening. Um, from that we sort of made our move to the government because we had all the government representatives over there and members of parliament. We had the prime minister. We had everyone at the opening. We even stopped the main road. Yes. And, uh, yeah, the neighbours were all [00:40:00] complaining that evening. Why is it that the Trans people the ladies are allowed to stop the road? Anyways, Um uh, we approached the government for assistance. That's when they finally said yes. OK, we'll, um, give you $5000 every year. So since then, they've been able [00:40:30] to they've been giving us the money. And with that money and the money that we the little bit that we have left over from Doug. This galaxy, we're now moving to have a little build a little cafe. We've been able to get buy machines, um, sewing machines for some of our, um the our ladies who has been gra graduating from technical schools. Who wants to do businesses? Yeah, [00:41:00] designs and all that. And, uh, and of course, hairdressers. We've been able to get them to join the A PTC, um, fund aid to go to Fiji Samoa. And where else do they have in Vanuatu? Yeah, for technical to all those technical schools and come back. And and we help them to, um, start [00:41:30] their own business. So it hasn't been, uh, an easy ride for us, especially with no funding, but because of the passion that we have, um, for the work that we do, you know, that's why we are still alive. Um, it hasn't been easy. We're still dealing with a lot of shit from a lot of people. Um uh, especially [00:42:00] 2.5 weeks ago, I got, um, awarded and nominated for the, uh, moment of Courage award by the US state. Um and, um, the last 2.5 weeks has been hell on Earth because it's people that you have known people. [00:42:30] You have helped people within your family that, you know, to be so called supported. You know, uh, the backstabbers, you know, it took that international recognition to actually bring out the true colours of everyone, you know? So have they been jealous? And yes, you know, it was posting on Facebook. [00:43:00] They posted on other pages for me not to see it, but unfortunately, some of those friends of mine that know me very well in my family reposted it on my page. Not on my I mean, not on my page, but inboxed it to me, you know, and especially with transgenders from our community that are so-called born [00:43:30] again, Christian when I got that and then last Saturday and maybe you If you're on Facebook, you go into my page and I. I posted it on there, but it's I started with Matthew chapter something Do not judge, you know, And I poured out my heart out was something that I have never shared in my life. My past [00:44:00] is out there in public now things that I I've never mentioned it to anyone. My grandmother was the only one that has that know that knew about it, you know, being raped at 14, um, things that Yeah, yeah, that I would have never been able [00:44:30] to share publicly. But after going through all that, all those negativities it brought back the suffering that I went through in life. And I think I was in the verge of killing myself because at the same time, I think the computer and the Facebook took all my attention. And I was just typing like there [00:45:00] was no tomorrow. My hands. But my fingers were typing and I was pouring my eyes off. Then this was five o'clock in the morning because everything just bulked up on me and I couldn't. I couldn't carry it anymore. I couldn't carry the burden anymore, you know? I was asking God, why am I born? Why was I born like this? Why am I still alive? Should I just I should just take my life and get it over and done with. Why am [00:45:30] I suffering? I mean, 52 years of my life, I'm still suffering. I thought everything's fine now, you know. But no, it's still killing me. It's still, you know, people are still there trying to grab you and strangle you. And and I think, um I think after an hour of of that [00:46:00] after it was I I Finally I when when I finally press enter and that everything went online, I finally realised what I was doing. And I tell you, it was the most beautiful feeling ever, you know, because I have never I've kept [00:46:30] that inside me for too long, you know? And I've never experienced anything like that, you know? And I didn't know that my sister was online at that very moment. I think it was. After 10 minutes of pressing that enter button, the phone rang. [00:47:00] And that's when I really poured out my heart because she's never known. I mean, even she all my I've got. Mind you. I've got about 42 brothers and sisters. I know. My father was 42 42 brothers and sisters Blood. My father got married three times after one died, but he [00:47:30] had other mistresses, and the problem I had with him was he never bothered to look at himself of what he was doing. He was way up high with his money business member of parliament, You know, with that status. But when I turn around and wear a dress, he didn't like it. And, [00:48:00] um um, so I didn't have a good relationship with him until 2008 when he was in his death bed. Um, I ended up being his nurse, you know, being the person who was who looked after him the whole time, and we [00:48:30] made peace. But even though you made peace with that person, even my brother who hanged me Um, yeah, that, um, Scar will always be inside you for the rest of your life. Um, it will never go away. You know, I tried, Believe me, I've tried to wipe it away out of my [00:49:00] life, but it has has never gone away. And I think that scar will be with me for the rest of my life. But after letting go of all my past publicly, I have been able to talk about it. But now I you know, I've done presentations and all this and that in all these international, but I've never shared my personal life like how I do I do today [00:49:30] but I feel a lot more freer that I have let go. You know of that past, um, and be able to talk about it because it has lifted that burden for out of me, you know, and I feel free, and I feel more encouraged that I need to help those who are still suffering from it. [00:50:00] I just found out yesterday that I was in the front page of our paper. Yeah, Um, apparently, the paper took everything that was on Facebook, the share that I did on the post that I did on Facebook and posted in on the paper. And, uh, well, the paper belongs to a member of our, uh, the person it belongs to the our church. [00:50:30] And, um, he got back. Apparently he was He's been emailing me, but I've been busy with the conference, and I didn't even check my mail because he was asking if he can press it. I mean, if he can put it on the paper, but it well, it's out there, but, uh, I have I have never seen something that I that I have posted that has been shared publicly so much [00:51:00] from a lot of people, you know, and and, um, the amount of response has been miraculous, you know? And the funny thing is, right after that, things are happening now in Tonga. There's been reporting of sexual abuse of little Children. There's been two girls just from two [00:51:30] weeks from last Sunday to now. We've got four cases, you know, and I. I just hope because these things have has been happening in Tonga, you know, and especially when happened, everyone thought that we were the ones who were pushing for it. You know, they changed everything from woman to lay, [00:52:00] and they were while they were doing the marching against. They were talking about homosexuality instead of talking about women's rights. So it it didn't really help us at all, you know? But you know, the drag queens at home, they took pictures of every single group and naming. OK, your son [00:52:30] went with this drag queen. You you went with this one's brother. That's how it was. That's how bad it was. And I actually had to come in and stop it because they were the the the the the ladies. The our members were angry because they were being marginalised. by some of their families and all that because, you know, they [00:53:00] thought they keep thinking is totally the ladies are in it. And if we allow, the ladies will be able to marry. It's all about you know, they were jumping into conclusion gay marriage, gay marriage, gay marriage, same sex marriage. But instead of saying gay marriage, they said, uh, homosexuality is evil. Uh, all these little messages, um, [00:53:30] was written on, you know, So that's what our members turned around and said took pictures of it and posted it on Facebook and said, You, you, you with all these. And then we had quite a few families that called back to us and said, Can you please ask your members to delete their posting? And I turned around and said, Well, tell your marchers [00:54:00] to burn their banners so that the can delete it. Because if you keep on marching, that's what's gonna happen. And for your information, maybe some of your church ministers were one of those victims that has been abusing the tea for too long. So after that, things were a lot more [00:54:30] silence. No more. There was no more magic no more. Um But then that then we had the Pacific Sexual Diversity Network Human Rights conference. Then this little particular church of 12 members came and stood with that banner, you know, get out of our country to doesn't need evil, homosexuality, all this and that. [00:55:00] But then afterwards, we the conference went well, complete it with a great outcome. And, uh, it just made us more louder than them, you know, Um, but, uh, thanks. There's a lot more work to do. Um, I don't know how my life is going to be when I get back. Um uh, since [00:55:30] there's a lot that has been publicly published And, um, but, um, maybe this has made me a stronger person. Um, and I thank God every day that I am what I am today with that note. Thank you very much for your attention. She? [00:56:00] Yes. Well, um, before we finish, um, finish with a song that has been with me for the, um, in my whole entire life. And I think this is more like the PSGN song that they always request for me to sing everywhere we go. But, um, it's, um, by Josh Groban. Um uh, you [00:56:30] raise me up and it the the lyrics of this song means a lot for the life that we've gone through. I'd like to dedicate this to all of you and those of you have lost with all your friends and families that you lost And, uh um and remembering those who are suffering from this issue [00:57:00] Yeah, When I am done and oh, my soul So we me one terrible car and my heart the And I am still And wait here in [00:57:30] the S until you come and stay a while with me Know you raise me up so I can stand on my mountain And you raise me up to walk on Store me See you were I am strong [00:58:00] When I the show You raise me to more than I can be right [00:58:30] You raise me Oh, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up [00:59:00] to walk and store me See high hetro When all you'll show you Raise me here to more than I can mhm you raise me [00:59:30] Oh, so I can stand the mountain Raise me up up to a Conor See P strong and come on You show me as you raise me too More than I can be. [01:00:00] You raise me here. Oh, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up, come to a stormy see I am When I am home you'll show me you raise me [01:00:30] to mhm You raise me up Mhm Two more that I can Yeah, [01:01:00] yeah. And with that note Malo alto, we are valuable and may God bless you.
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