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/