Panicake Tournament

Some of DIVA for Equality work is linked to the longtime interest of the LBTQ+ hub and wider network members in sports. This includes rugby, soccer, volleyball and hockey. The DIVA for Equality collective directly evolved from a growing desire to work on linked issues of human rights and social, economic, ecological and climate justice and has evolved over the years from 2011. 

The work of developing and sustaining ourselves as a Collective and Network since 2011 has not been easy nor smooth and our wider political engagement is not so easy. 

So the Panicake tournament provides a sports-focused space based on a well known children and adults game called ‘Pani’ where wider DIVA hubs, LGBTQI+ community and allies come together to have fun, celebrate in public, strengthen the movement in safe ways, and also experience some fun competitive community sports. It grows and evolves with each tournament. 

In Fiji, ‘panikeke’ or ‘pancake’ is used as an insult and putdown to describe the sexual acts of lesbians and gender non-conforming women. With this event we publicly advocate for reclamation of the word. We joined it with ‘Pani’, a childhood game loved by most Fiji children of the past 3 generations, to form the Pancake Tournament. It has been on hold since 2019 due to public health emergency restrictions of movement and lockdown. 

We will reinstate this in 2022 in Nadi, all going well with public health conditions. If you would like to put together a team there will be a public Call, to which teams can sign up to participate. Note: DIVA generally contributes to high-need LGBTQI+ team expenses if needed with a specific contribution amount (generally not full coverage). Our focus is to support and accompany participation of LGBTQI+ teams. Other teams must fundraise for their own participation.