Caught in a gender storm

responding to questions regarding the backlash from people online. His critics saw his comments as directly offending Ms Loloma.

The People’s Alliance leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, said he did not support Pastor Tawaivuna’s comments, in light of the coalition agreement between his party and the NFP.

“You will probably know that in some old constitution we had respected people’s sexual orientation and the agreement between The People’s Alliance and National Federation Party was signed before they picked their candidates,” he said.

“No, I do not support his (Pastor Tawaivuna’s) comments. I respect people and their faith, a right to choose. I think too many of us try to be self-righteous and impose our values onto others.”

But Pastor Tawaivuna retorted: “I’m not self-righteous. If no one is going to address this issue, who will do it? If my generation keeps quiet and allows this as a norm, as a culture, that means our next generation is going to be in a sad state.

“I’m not condemning. We love Divina Loloma but we don’t like what’s being done to change to be a woman. How can someone who was created to be a man, change himself to be a woman? That means you are defying creation. There are only two days in your life, the day you were born and the day you find your purpose.”

He said he was speaking on behalf of his generation and his church. He belongs to the 11th Hour ministry.

“I am basing my opinion from the Lord’s word. I am saying it’s an abomination to God when he created you to be a man and you change yourself to be a woman. We should think about that carefully. Why does he have to come public on this and he is saying he is the first transgender? What I am saying, is Fiji approving this? Do we allow this?

“The Holy Spirit lives in us so we act on his behalf, we restrain lawlessness, we expose the works of darkness, we can’t just leave it, that means if we allow it to happen that means that this is okay, for a man to be a woman, a woman to be a man and for same-sex marriages, things will just follow.”

The Hausi Pacifika acting director, Julie Narayan, said the organisation, which represents the LGBTQI community, was concerned with the rise of transphobia and homophobia online, targeting queer and transgender people, and is calling on authorities to ensure that free and fair elections must reflect a human rights centric approach.