Tongan transgender activist Joey Joleen Mataele 

I endured the same thing when I was little attending boarding school in Fiji, I couldn't tell anyone because I didn't know what to do and didn't have a clue what has happened to me, I live with that shame every day. Thank you for telling ,not just your story I feel that finally you're telling my story too.

No one deserves such pain and suffering at that age, your strength now is a light for those who cannot speak up. Your a strong woman. Prayers be upon you on this incredible journey.

My dear cousin, I had no idea that had happened to you! I have admired you since our teens and more so now. Stand up for those that have/is being stepped on, speak up for those that have lost their tongue. Be the strength for those who seeks it. You are loved Joey! The haters are ignorant. Don't let them or anyone else dictate what you will accomplish. Ofa lahi atu!

Smiles and love from Canada 🍁💜💜💜 I was aware at 5 years old, men molested me , beat me , trafficked me , tried to kill me . Somehow I am blessed to still be alive . At age 45 , I couldn't fake it anymore . I also found out , I am intersexed and chose to accept myself and move on as my authentic self and now 2 years on estrogen and I have no regrets 💖💖💖 Much love and blessings to all my sister's around the world .

Joey what a beautiful human being.You stand for us all not just the transgender community all of us that have knowen the horror of being mollested.I thank you for speaking out to the wider community and sharing your pain but also to show solidarity and strength to awaken people to the fact that transgender people are human and deserve to be treated as such.May God bless you always Joey.You are a true earth angel.

Awesome. This needs to be discussed more openly in Tonga. Thank you for opening the eyes of many through this documentary.

I saw you on TV in France..it was very moving and i salute you,your courage,your faith.You are so brave and courageou shaving to face everything which we ,in Europe, take for granted.You are a lesson for us all and you have my admiration. God has made us ,whatever we are,we are His and only He can judge and as far that i know,you are closer to him than we will ever be..God bless you.

I'm not very religious but I think that God made everybody for a purpose - perhaps the holy purpose of the Leitis is to be a harmonious connection between men and women to show us that there isn't a gap between genders but a gentle and loving gradient full of life and positivity. Perhaps their purpose is to remind of that God is love and to teach us to love each other.

I am a 69 year old activist from the USA . I admire You, my Sister !! If I can help please let me know !! I'm sending You Love !!

Heart warming story, love the testimony

Am proud Of u Joey! Stay Strong U Were Given This Life B'coz U Are Strong Enough To Live It! Be Happy ! Be Bright Be U.. 'Ofa Atu God Bless

Hi uncle. Good to see that your still doing good. Hopefully you will come visit Hawaii soon. Alofaaga from the Alailima family.

Love you my precious nephew Joey Joleen MATAELE Ofa kiho kii fofonga maupe pea Malo ngaahi fai fatongia lelei I Tongana and god bless you always ❤️👏💯🇹🇴🙏

I'm fakatangata and lucky to also be hafekasi, being LBGT and Tongan is rough for full blooded, my cuz is a lesbian and everyone treats her like dirt because of it, I escape much of it because I'm half palangi. Thank you for all your work Joey

Oh man Joey I feel you! I know the pain and I hated it! Big ups to you for sharing!

Leave her alone let her be she's knows exactly what she's doing

God’s message is to assist men in whatever circumstances they might face, not for men purpose. Man’s purposes is not the same as god because men change his minds a lot.

thank you for sharing this inspiring story from Joey. I appreciate the activism and work she is putting in to create a better world for fafafines/leitis

You have every right to feels the way that you do and believe in whatever you do. It saddened me to say this us as a Polynesian islander we should hold our parents with love and respect if they are wronged speak up he doesn’t know how you feel maybe he does or maybe not, being the way you are doesn’t help the situation, nothing wrong with that. Your particular situation I do not know all I have say about that is keep on living to the best your abilities and one more thing before I leave don’t bring god into this because is to sensitive subject to talk about...god’s message hasn’t changed just man or woman’s is

I'm proud of you :)stay strong 💙

Really liked this.

Blessings, strength, & courage in your journey, but most important be true to yourself.

Joey you're so gorgeous ❤️ ya! Have you gone for Gender Reassignment Surgery yet? If before adolescence much better. You don't develop bodily hair or a masculine voice. Also hips are curvaceous.

So strong! I love it 💖

Joey you said your faith is strong,,why transgender, did God make a mistake? Good luck with your life ,I hope you are happy.

Joey Joleen's father blamed them for being raped?! There is no way that I would have forgiven a father like that. And I definitely would not have taken care of them when they were old.

First off, I'm a dirty dog/sinner and I'll never look down on anyone just because they sin differently. I love everyone - straight, gay, trans, black, white, green etc. However, if you were born a male, you're a MALE and if you're born a female, you're a FEMALE. You can't change what God designed you to be. You can try your best to change your outward appearance but what's within (DNA) will always stay the same. In the Bible, it says that: - God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. - Genesis 1:31 - We're a masterpiece of God's creation - Ephesians 2:10 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8 If God thinks we're very good, a masterpiece and worth dying for (even though we didn't deserve it). Then why would you want to change what he created you to be? Since when does the creation know better than the CREATOR? Anyway, praying that Tonga wakes up and doesn't follow in the footsteps of other nations before it's too late. Because the King of Kings (Jesus Christ) is almost here! Ko e 'Otua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofi'a.

Hi Joey it’s me heuifanga your Family

Deuteronomy 22:5

I pray u r resting our Heavenly father. I wishi u were here. I will love all faka fefine. moe mai ra Joey... Joelene. Ofa atu.

No one has the right to abuse anyone these people need to go to jail for abuse

Your a man not a woman

when you think or feel like you are something else then you need help.

Kasele nae fau koe he Otua keke tangata kake fulei koe o fiepoto mai he tv ke fkma ai e Tonga moe usi koe fuu angahala tae fkmolemolei ena ho fkhalaki hono faunga koe moe tufakanga ae Otua naa ne oatu maau.

Embaressing us Tongans smh

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Faka leti

Joleen is not Tongan 😘

This is so sad, people are normalizing this form of hate. He obviously doesn’t love himself and people are promoting this behavior and supporting it.

This will never exist in tongan society go somewhere else only warriors come from my island

Give him a tree

Tonga😂😂