Audio from the workshop: Pacific Health and Spirituality.
The workshop covered sexuality, spirituality and access to health services, in particular focusing on Christianity as the most prominent faith in the Pacific. The workshop also covered Transgender health needs with reference to the Asia Pacific Trans Health Blueprint, and heard about country-specific issues.
Summary
This abstract summarizes an event recorded on March 10, 2016, at the University of Otago Wellington School of Medicine, which focused on Pacific Health and Spirituality, specifically addressing LGBTI health in the Pacific from the 1990s to the 2010s. Various speakers, including prominent activists and experts from the region, deliberated on the nexus of health, spirituality, and the LGBTI community's lived experiences.
The event commenced with a prayer in true Pacific spirit and proceeded with two key presentations followed by a question-and-answer session. The attendees discussed spiritual beliefs and traditional practices affecting LGBTI health and the challenges posed by Christian teachings towards sexuality and gender diversity in the Pacific. Notable contributions were made regarding rights advocacy, health care access, and combating discrimination using theological frameworks. The founder of the Rainbow Pride Foundation discussed the strides made in the community's tolerance and acceptance over the last few decades, despite the barriers erected by colonial legacies and missionary influences.
The speaker underlined the importance of interpreting the Bible in a way that eschews homophobia and transphobia, advocating for a queer theology that represents the experiences and knowledge of the LGBTI community. Various topics ranging from biblical interpretations, overcoming challenges related to spiritual dualism, to combating prohibitive and punitive mainstream Christian norms, and encouraging access to sexual health care were addressed.
Data on the current cultural attitudes and policies affecting LGBTI health were also shared, such as the lack of specific representation of transgender individuals within health data and policies, struggles against stigmatization in healthcare settings, and the criminalization of consensual same-sex relationships. A case study highlighted the adverse impact of discrimination, hindering LGBTI individuals from accessing health services in Papua New Guinea.
The panel also explored personal and communal narratives within the context of societal change, emphasizing the significant role of churches in influencing views on LGBTI rights and the dialogues needed to create an inclusive environment. While acknowledging the slow pace of acceptance within some churches, the panelists discussed advocacy strategies to promote health and rights, including leveraging international platforms like the Universal Periodic Review.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
Voices
Tags
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Tags (computer generated)
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