More than a hundred people are expected to attend the Love Life4 Fono in Manukau, where the issue of how to best get the safe sex message into Pacific Island communities will be tackled. The fourth biannial gathering begins at Makaurau Marae tonight and runs through until Sunday. Coordinator Elton Siataga-Raharaha says 97 people have officially RSVP'd, but as many as 120-130 people are expected to come along, a significant jump from the 75 or so people who have attended previous fono. "This year we are looking forward to a bigger event, and we will have a stronger youth presence than ever before," he says. The thrust of the gathering will be looking at how the New Zealand AIDS Foundation's subsidiary Get It On! can connect with the Pacific Island community. Siataga-Raharaha says feedback will be used in creative marketing and responding to specific issues. "We'll also look at highlighting that it's not just our fa'afafine individuals out there, but also that our gay Pacific brothers are out there, and our lesbian sisters," he says. "They get put to the background a lot, because our fa'afafine are so colourful. But we are luckily able to have a bigger base to come in this year, and it will be about getting a snapshot of where they're at and what they need in 2011, since 2009." Along with the serious discussions, Siataga-Raharaha is also promising plenty of "fun and food and laughter", and points out there is a fiafia night on Saturday where there will be a variety of performers. He says all are welcome to come along over the weekend, "Especially if you support and care for our Pacific rainbow communities."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 17th November 2011 - 12:18pm