Legal Changes regarding Sexual

Orientation

Bula from Hawaii! I am researching the constitutional/legal/social status of sexual orientation in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia for a US national conference (American Psychological Association Annual Convention) symposium in 1999.1 am writing to ask if anyone might be able to help me find some information regard ing these issues in Fiji.

Fiji received some overseas publicity regarding its recent adoption of a South Africa-like constitutional clause enshrin ing sexual orientation as a protected civil rights class. In this regard, does anyone know where could I obtain a copy of the Fiji constitutional clause relating to sexual orientation?

A second piece of information that I am looking for relates to a recent news report that, at the urging of the Methodist Church of Fiji and the Fiji Council of Churches, Parliament plans to amend the new Bill of Rights to state that same-sex marriage and “unnatural offences” (an old British refer ence that has never been defined, to my knowledge) remain illegal. This appears to have the potential to completely invalidate sexual orientation as a protected civil rights class. Is this report accurate (that Parliament has this intention)? If so, does anyone know what the planned time frame is for the introduction of this proposed leg islation? Many thanks for any and all leads.

Philip V. Hull . Ph.D.

[email protected] [email protected]

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