Transgender group calls for tolerance

SAMOA – The Samoa Fa’afafine Association has accepted an apology by the Samoa Observer regarding the newspaper’s front page that depicted the death of the late Jeanine Tuivaiki.

It says the Samoan Observer, a champion of freedom of the press in Samoa, had violated and robbed what last dignity and humanity Tuivaiki had.

“But as is the nature in all things in our fa’asamoa, apologies were given, and we rise again to work together to improve, to be better, to do better, to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

“It is in that spirit that we accept Samoa Observer’s apologies specifically their reaching out to Jeanine’s family and making their peace with the most important people in this whole affair.

“It is premature for us to assume that Jeanine’s case is a possible or suspected suicide – that only brings forward a false sense of security that we are safe from harm when there is the possibility that this could be a hate crime.

“For many years our fa’afafine and fa’afatama community has been silent as we consciously adapt to the norm because Samoa is our home, it is our land, it is our identity and we understand the responsibilities and duties of being Samoan.

“Religion, the foundation of Samoan society, verbally targets fa’afafine and fa’afatama, and this often plants the seeds for contempt, which becomes hatred, which can ultimately lead to violence.

“Whilst we try to live our lives and serve our families and our communities, we are often judged from some kind of religious background, that our behaviours are a sin, that our very existence is not natural, that we are disgusting, and therefore must be harmed.

“For whatever reason, right or wrong, legal or illegal, fa’afafine and fa’afatama can never be fully functional free and equal citizens of Samoa whilst these behaviours and laws are in place.

“We hope that in the coming days, clear guidelines about the treatment of sensitive issues such as suicides, homicides, fa’afafines and fa’afatamas will be guided by the Office of the Ombudsman in Samoa and the newly formed media council.

“We value and respect life. All lives matter. Especially those that are marginalised, abused, and subjected to homophobia and transphobia at the hands of those that should know better.

“On a final note, we ask that we respect this young fa’afafine transgender woman. We ask that we respect her family and we do everything we can to accord Ms Tuivaiki some form of dignity in death.” - PNC