Miss Galaxy Pageant

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Miss Galaxy Queen is a beauty pageant held in Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu in Tonga, where contestants are members of Tonga's fakaleiti community. Organised by the Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) it raises awareness of LGBTQ+ rights issues and has become a regular event in the Tongan cultural calendar.

Background[]

Emerging from the 1970s disco scene in Tonga,[1] the Miss Galaxy pageant was established in 1993, organised by the Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) as a means to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in Tonga, and to raise money for their programmes.[2] Structured in a similar way to Tonga's pageant, Miss Galaxy was become more popular than it.[3] In addition, whilst Miss Heilala contestants are expected to "exhibit their Tongan-ness", Miss Galaxy contestants express themselves as "cosmopolitan ... using English".[4] Many of the Miss Galaxy contestants have a financial impetus to compete, in contrast to the Miss Heilala contestants who are often wealthier.[5]

Organisation and sponsorship[]

The pageant usually takes place in July each year as part of the Heilala Festival.[6] The director of the pageant is Joey Joleen Mataele. The Patron for the Miss Galaxy is the Honorable , the eldest daughter of Her Royal Highness Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita.[6] The pageant attracts audiences of up to five thousand people each year.[7] A panel of judges rate the Miss Galaxy contestants in a number of different talent and appearance categories. International academics, celebrities and members of the royal family have acted as judges in various years.[6]

Originally held at the Dateline Hotel, a change in its ownership to an adherent of evangelical Christianity, in 1997 the competition moved to a new location - the .[1] In 2010 the pageant was hosted at the Four Seasons Resort, 'Umusi for the first time.[8] Contestants create costumes and model under several categories, including: 'Red Creation' which is a tribute to those affected by HIV; 'Condom Creation' which is designed to raise awareness around condom use; 'Rainbow Attire' is a tribute to rainbow families.[2] During the pageant event, the TLA sees its highest distribution of condoms.[2] 'The pageant also has a HIV testing booth, where attendees can be tested whilst attending the event.[7]

Local Tongan businesses sponsor the event, a demonstration of their support for changing attitudes to LGBTQ+ rights.[7] In 2002 Air New Zealand began sponsorship of the pageant and its official name became the Air New Zealand Galaxy Queen Beauty Pageant.[9] In 2017 the pageant was sponsored by Digicel Tonga.[10] The 2021 pageant's theme was 'Ending Gender-based Violence'.[11]

Reception[]

Days after the inaugural event in 1993, a transphobic educational official suggested that schools had a role in the increasingly visible number of leitis in Tonga.[12]

In 2018 pageant contestants were featured in the documentary Leitis in Waiting which portrayed the difficulties faced by the leitis community in Tonga.[13] The same year, the pageant celebrated its silver jubilee, celebrating twenty-five years of success.[14]

Pageant winners[]

  • 1993: .[12]
  • 1994: Fiona Gibson.[citation needed]
  • 1995: London Koloamatangi.[citation needed]
  • 1996: Lee Mubai Yang.[citation needed]
  • 1997: .[6]
  • 1998: Kumu Hina.[citation needed]
  • 1999: Janice Fruean-Zimmerman Baice.[citation needed]
  • 2000: Ireen Shauna.[citation needed]
  • 2001: Lee Mubai Yang (Feliuaki Taulanga).[citation needed]
  • 2002: Pauline Edward Taufa.[citation needed]
  • 2003: Sonia Honey.[citation needed]
  • 2004: Phylesha Brown-Acton.[15]
  • 2005: Sabrina Latu.[citation needed]
  • 2006: .[14]
  • 2007: .[9]
  • 2008: Selena D'Angelo.[citation needed]
  • 2009: .[16]
  • 2010: Tararina Brown.[citation needed]
  • 2011: .[17]
  • 2012-2013: Jayleen Veer Kaho
  • 2014: Leila Heihei.[citation needed]
  • 2015-2016: .[18][19]
  • 2017: .[10]
  • 2018: .[20]
  • 2019: .[21]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Besnier, Niko (2011-03-02). On the Edge of the Global: Modern Anxieties in a Pacific Island Nation. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-7764-3.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Pacific, UNDP in Asia and the (2019-09-10). "Miss Galaxy Pageant blazes a trail for acceptance of trans women in Tonga". Medium. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. ^ Daly, Martin (2009-02-04). Tonga: A New Bibliography. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3196-7.
  4. ^ Daly, Martin (2009-02-04). Tonga: A New Bibliography. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3196-7.
  5. ^ Eckert, Penelope; McConnell-Ginet, Sally (2013-02-07). Language and Gender. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-02905-7.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Besnier, Niko (2002). "Transgenderism, Locality, and the Miss Galaxy Beauty Pageant in Tonga". American Ethnologist. 29 (3): 534–566. ISSN 0094-0496.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Activist Spotlight: Joey Joleen Mataele — GiveOut". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  8. ^ "Miss Galaxy lives up to reputation | Matangitonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "TONGAN MISS GALAXY PAGEANT CROWNS NEW QUEEN | Pacific Islands Report". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Miss Galaxy Queen Pageant ends on a high note | Loop Tonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  11. ^ "MISS GALAXY PAGEANT 2021 - TLA - Tonga Leiti's Association". tongaleiti.org. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "Tonga tries to shut the closet door on '50/50 men' | The Independent | The Independent". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  13. ^ "Leitis in Waiting: Even Miss Galaxy Queen | Hawaii Public Radio". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Pacific, Loop (2018). "Festivities to commemorate Tonga's Miss Galaxy Pageant 25th anniversary". Loop Tonga. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  15. ^ "Beauty with a Purpose — thecoconet.tv - The world's largest hub of Pacific Island content". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  16. ^ "Miss Agu Tuinasau, from Tonga, being crowned winner of the annual Stock Photo - Alamy". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  17. ^ "Venus Brown, new Galaxy Queen 2011-12 | Matangitonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  18. ^ "Miss Galaxy's first judging event started last night – TBC". Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  19. ^ "Miss Galaxy Queen, Diamond Vea | Matangitonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  20. ^ "Miss Galaxy 2018, Kaina Handerson Tauvaka | Matangitonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  21. ^ "Miss Galaxy Queen 2019, Marina Cocobutter | Matangitonga". web.archive.org. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-05-27.

External resources[]

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