HISTORY

Nuanua Collective’s history begins with our co-founders, Ma’afu Suliafu and Lauren To’omalatai, who hosted the very first Nuanua Collective gathering in December 2019. The duo met as volunteers in the Pacific Islander community organizing space and used their shared knowledge and experience in community building to create a space specifically for LGBTQ+ Pacific Islanders.

Nuanua means “rainbow” in Samoan and calls to mind the standard rainbow associated with the LGBTQ+ community but with a Pacific Islander focus. Nuanua operates with our indigenous culture and beliefs at the forefront which includes honor our traditional sexual and gender identities as MVPFAFF+.

Since that initial meeting, Nuanua has steadily grown and expanded— propelled by the belief that all of our struggles are interconnected, resulting in Nuanua not only serving as a social and support group but also service and outreach with the wider QTBIPOC community.

Our collective is led by, and for, Queer and Trans People of Color. The events and initiatives that we host and partake in are all rooted in a deep love for our community and recognizing the need for spaces that are built with intention.

Nuanua Collective Mission Statement

The Nuanua Collective exists to provide a safe and brave space that centers the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ Pacific Islanders. We are committed to creating an ocean of opportunities through identity affirming events and activities with equal attention devoted to education and celebration.

Nuanua seeks to be a consistently visible expression of the love, joy, and happiness that is so often denied to LGBTQ+ Pasifika. We will heal ourselves and each other through deliberate organizing and reclaiming space to exist and thrive within our own Pacific Island community.

Nuanua will operate as an inclusive, chosen family and take the appropriate measures to ensure that regardless of age, background, ability, sexuality, or gender, that all Nuanua members feel accurately and respectfully represented within programming and leadership. This collective is dedicated to cultivating intersectional and intergenerational relationships to reflect our indigenous cultural values of community.

We welcome Pacific Islanders from all Pacific Island nations, allowing the exploration and demonstration of our Pasifika LGBTQ+ community’s most authentic version of themselves.