Fri 1 Nov 2013 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Samoa's Prime Minister has described the New Zealand wedding of a gay Samoan man and his partner as "inappropriate," sparking a tide of homophobic comments on a Samoan news website. Footage from the Manawatu nuptials of Ralph Molesi and Will Brobbel was featured on New Zealand programme Tagata Pasifika, which screens in devoutly Christian Samoa. It showed Molesi was completely supported by his conservative parents. The piece prompted Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi to tell the Samoa Observer that the usual thing to say during wedding ceremonies is that "I now declare you husband and wife." He added he believes "I now declare you man and husband and that is very inappropriate," and the problem with the world today is that "everything is upside down." Tuilaepa refused to comment further except to say that the wedding was "a Kiwi matter, not ours." The Prime Minister's comments sparked hateful and bible-thumping comments on the Samoan Observer story. The newspaper also claims a 76-year-old Samoan woman "nearly had a heart attack" upon watching the Tagata Pasifika piece. There has been backlash to the video on the Facebook page Samoan Pride, prompting its admins to respond with the message "There is a compelling Christian message here too, which is especially valid in today's age of competing views, beliefs and principles; love thy neighbour, and then leave the judging up to God," and "Let's put our disagreements aside, and celebrate the love that these two have found. Congratulations to them! And God knows this world needs a little bit more love in it." Ironically, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is the associate patron of the Faafafine Association of Samoa who in 2011 described faafafine as "just another shining example of the glorious miracles and creations of our Lord."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 1st November 2013 - 7:38pm