Nevertheless, LGBT people do enjoy some limited legal protections, as employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned since 2013.

Historically, transgender people (nowadays called akava'ine; literally to behave like a woman) were seen as an important part of the family and the local tribe.

The arrival of foreign Christian missionaries quickly changed societal acceptance, and the first anti-gay laws in the Cook Islands were enacted thereafter.

The group officially launched in June 2008, and encourages debates on the issue and has organised events with the aim of raising awareness of the lives of LGBT people.

The Cook Islands, much like the rest of Polynesia, used to be tolerant of same-sex relationships and transgender people before the arrival of Christianity.

[6] Early on in fieldwork, I commented on the camp demeanour of a prominent Cook Islands performer, who wore loud, brighlty coloured, frilly shirts and whose flamboyant acts resembled those of Elton John or Peter Allen.

This comment was made despite the fact that the woman worked with the man's current partner and it appeared—to me at least—blatantly obvious that the two were sexually involved.

When I asked what the difference was, she said that laelae 'just love the girls' whereas 'gays sleep with men'.Since the 2000s, the Māori word akava'ine has come to refer to transgender people from the Cook Islands.

Keeping Place of resort for homosexual acts Sections 152 and 153 of the Criminal Code set the age of consent for vaginal intercourse at 16.

[19] The bill has received the support of Marie Pa Ariki, an influential tribal chief, who has called the anti-gay law "unfair".

[33][34] The Registrar of the High Court (Retita o te Akavaanga Teitei) has the power to void and dissolve marriages that violate the law.

The Congregationalist church believes that homosexuality and cross-dressing are signs of immorality and this impacts both public attitudes as well as government policy.

[41] The travel website cookislands.org.uk reports that homosexuality is generally accepted and a laissez-faire attitude is taken to tourists, though public displays of affection may offend.