A national conference aimed at transgender people of Pacific origin organised next month by the AIDS Foundation hopes to raise awareness, build support and address health issues. The conference is labelled as targeting those who identify as "third sex" - a term sometimes used among Pasifika people to describe those who do not identify or live according to their birth gender. The two-day fono (hui/meeting) will be held from October 21-23 in Auckland, directly preceding the Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS Conference which runs from October 25 to 28. Invitations to attend have gone to “third sex” leaders from around the Pacific as well as throughout New Zealand. “HIV/AIDS statistics show that the transmission of HIV is increasing in Pacific Island nations,” says Te Herekiekie Herewini, the Foundation's Tumuwhakahaere – National Manager Health Promotion. “This could have an impact on Pacific peoples in New Zealand. Fa'afafine, fakaleiti, akava'ine, mahu wahine, mahu vahine and whakawahine communities are at high risk of contracting HIV, yet there is little official support to cater to their unique needs." Themes of the conference include: celebration of the traditions of “third sex” cultures, to provide a safe environment to discuss issues of importance re health and well-being, to understand “third sex” perspectives about HIV/AIDS and provide an update about HIV/AIDS in the Pacific, to promote a safe sex culture within these communities, and to gather a fa'afafine/fakaleiti/mahu wahine/mahu vahine/whakawahine/akava'ine “voice” for presentation at the Pan Pacific HIV/AIDS conference. "In spite of the suppression of non-heterosexual identities that followed western colonisation of the Pacific, the ‘third sex' have continued to be a visible part of Pacific cultures," says Herewini. "This fono is a unique opportunity to bring these voices together to learn from one another, celebrate our identities and cultures and contribute to the global battle against HIV and AIDS."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 28th September 2005 - 12:00pm