Joey Joleen Mataele

Ms. Joey Joleen Mataele is a Tongan businesswoman, professional singer, entertainer, event planner, and single parent to three adopted children. She is the Founder and Director of the Miss Galaxy Queen Pageant, raising awareness and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. As the Executive Director and Co-founder of the Tonga Leiti’s Association (TLA), which has been active for 31 years, Joleen is also the Co-founder of the Pacific Sexual Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN). Her honors include the Silver Jubilee Medal (1996), the Order of Queen Salote Medal (2008), and nominations for the Women of Courage Award (2016) and the APCOM Hero Transgender Award (2017).