“I have a good feeling that coming back and sharing my experiences might help inspire a change. There are some very influential LGBTQ+ artists in Fiji who are advocating for issues relating to the community but we have a long way to go,” said Lule.Īfter years away, he has reservations about returning to Fiji and being able to continue to express himself. While this may help socio-economically, they are still boxed and limited.”īut Lule says that as the number of influential queer artists increases, perceptions of LGBTQ+ people and discussions about their rights are changing. So LGBTQ+ validation comes from within these professions and sectors.

They are part of dance groups, choirs and entertainment at weddings and events, and in the tourism and fashion industries.

“An LGBTQ+ person’s worth in Fiji is linked to how they conform to boxes that society puts them in. “Fiji’s LGBTQ+ creators are tolerated as long as they produce entertaining content and nothing serious about their rights,” said Shaheed. Shaheed, from Rainbow Pride Foundation, says that the popularity of LGBTQ+ entertainers often masks the struggles faced by the community. While Fiji’s 2013 constitution provides broad protection to the LGBTQ+ community, they continue to experience unequal treatment in many areas, including being denied access to sexual and reproductive health services, being barred from adoption and being unable to pass on inheritances and make medical choices for their partners. How it all started 😂😂 /SKX7E6I1nN- Shaheel Shermont Flair July 28, 2022Īccording to Rainbow Pride Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in Fiji, homophobia is still rife within the country. “There are so many great comments that I can reply to and appreciate instead,” he said.Īs a sign of changing times, Prasad has parlayed the fame into paying gigs with Fijian brands and companies that have historically not embraced the LGBTQ+ community. “The hate has always been there from when I started because of my sexuality,” said Prasad, who is openly gay and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.įor now, he is focusing on the positives. The video, which attracted over 30m likes and international press coverage, has turned Flair into a minor celebrity in Fiji. In the video titled “Fashion shows be like”, Prasad pokes fun at fashion’s high concept runways. Prasad, from the outskirts of Fiji’s capital Suva, has become a viral international sensation after posting a fashion catwalk video on TikTok in July. We need champions like Green in different sectors who can help advance dialogue on diversity.”Īnd then there is Shaheel Sanil Prasad, a 24-year-old LGBTQ+ influencer, who performs as Shaheel Shermont Flair. “Rugby is a huge part of Fijian culture and to see Ellia Green affirming his gender identity publicly… is a huge step forward in the work around LGBTQ+ rights for the Pacific.

It was a big moment, said Abdul Mufeez Shaheed, the programme manager of Rainbow Pride Foundation Fiji.įiji-born Ellia Green, one of the stars of Australia's gold medal-winning women's rugby sevens team at the 2016 Olympics, announced he had transitioned to male. Shaneel Lal, a Fijian-New Zealand LGBTQ+ rights activist, model and writer, has been a key figure in the movement to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand.Įllia Green, who represented Australia in women’s rugby sevens at the Rio Olympics, winning gold, came out as transgender man in August. Many of them, like Lule, are now based outside of Fiji, but their work and stories are followed closely by those back home. He’s one of a growing number of queer entertainers and influencers with Fijian heritage challenging gender norms. Lule plans to return to Fiji next year, and share what he’s learned about the art of drag with the local LGBTQ+ community. “In Shenzen, I found the freedom to be myself,” he said, “And I found community.” Sevuloni Lule did not think his family in Fiji, which has very traditional notions of masculinity, would accept his identity.

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