Phylesha Brown-Acton is a Fakafifine woman and hails from the village of Fineone Hakupu Atua, Niue Island. She is the Executive Director of F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa Trust (pronounced Fee-neh), a Pacific Whānau Ora funded organisation that provides navigation support services to MVPFAFF+ & Pacific LGBTQI+ people and their families in the Auckland region. 

Phylesha has served on regional boards such as ILGA Oceania, ILGA World, IAS and ICASO. For over 25 years, her work has been rooted in advancing the voice, visibility and rights of MVPFAFF+ / Pacific LGBTQI+ people and their families for over 25 years.   

Phylesha is a Co-investigator for New Zealand’s first MVPFAFF+ / Pacific LGBTQI+ / Rainbow Well-being study called The Manalagi Project (click here to learn more), as well as the Co-Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN).  

She has received a number of accolades including a Queen’s Honour (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, MNMZ) for her service to MVPFAFF+ / Pacific LGBTQI+ communities & Pacific communities. 

As well as her advocacy work, Phylesha is a weaver, dancer, storyteller and navigator.