Ep. 31: PasifiQueereDisabled Perspectives with Luka Leleiga Bunnin

Luka is Samoan, Han Chinese, and Ashkenazi Jewish, autistic, dyspraxic, and fa‘atama. They join this episode to share some of their research that critically looks at climate action and justice. While Luka is inspired by the pressing necessity of Pacific climate justice, and supports the declared aims of the movement, they have struggled with the engagements with gender and disability within it. Who has the power to represent "the Pacific" and how? In which images? We discuss how language is important but never perfect, tackling terms like Pasifiqueeredisabled and the acronym c.h.e.p. that Luka coined in their research in order to identify and confront both multiply marginalised and multiply privileged peoples. Among other topics, Luka explains the social construction of disability as well as its limitations via a disability justice lens, while also exploring Indigenous ancestral perspectives of difference that highlight neurodivergent people’s strengths. Other topics include Tāvāism and ‘Afa Music and if you are interested in more information about the song at the end you can follow this link of Luka.

 

Terms: Tauiwi (Indigenous peoples or non-European peoples in Aotearoa), perisex (non intersexed person), intersexed (individuals born with any of a variety of sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male and female), gender sexuality divergent (divergent gender and sexuality to heteronormativity), C.H.E.P. (cisgender hetero-[sexual, romantic, platonic, aesthetic] enabled perisexed), Fa‘afafine (Sāmoan gendersexuality community, often feminine of centre), Fa‘atama (Sāmoan gendersexuality community, often masculine of centre), Fa‘a'afa (Sāmoan gendersexuality community, link), neuro divergent (describes people whose brains, sensory systems, and forms of communication have been Othered, especially through colonial biomedical structures), neuro normative (describes people whose brains, sensory systems, and forms of communication have been normalised and rewarded, especially through colonial biomedical structures), Takatāpui (describes "Māori who identify with diverse genders, sexualitieis, and sex characteristics", link), ‘afa (coconut sennit rope).

Glossary of additional terms that you might find useful related to this episode: https://translanguageprimer.com/full-index/