03/27/2026
A Confluence of Roles: President, Ambassador, and Chief Guest
The year 2009 witnessed a profound and symbolic convergence in Suva when Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Vice-President of Fiji, attended the Adi Senikau Pageant as chief guest. His presence was multifaceted, resonating on traditional, national, and international levels.
The Adi Senikau pageant is a cornerstone event for Fiji's LGBTQ+ community, a celebration of beauty, talent, and cultural intelligence. For Ratu Epeli—a sitting Head of State and a high chief of Bau—to officiate was in itself a groundbreaking act of recognition. It represented a rare bridge between the highest echelons of Fijian authority and a community often navigating the margins of society.
However, his presence carried an even deeper dimension. At the time, Ratu Epeli was also serving as the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for the Pacific. In this critical role, his mandate was to advocate for HIV awareness, prevention, and the dismantling of stigma—work that disproportionately and directly impacts transgender communities across the region.
Therefore, his attendance at the Adi Senikau pageant was not merely ceremonial. It was a strategic and principled act of advocacy. By standing as chief guest, he visibly embodied the core principles of his UNAIDS ambassadorship: inclusion, dignity, and the protection of vulnerable populations. He lent the full weight of his presidential and traditional stature to affirm the health, rights, and humanity of the contestants and the community they represented.
This moment in 2009 stands as a powerful case study in aligned leadership. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau seamlessly wove together his roles as President, traditional chief, and international health ambassador into a single, potent gesture of solidarity. It was a clear message that the fight against stigma and for the health of all citizens, regardless of gender identity, was a concern that sat at the very heart of national and regional leadership.
Rest In Love, Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, KStJ, Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca. (5 July 1941 – 26 March 2026)
