Reshaping the commemorative landscape of Hawaiʻi’s diverse LGBTQ+ Māhū communities

Lei Pua ʻAla

is a multidimensional project to document and memorialize gender and sexual diversity across the uniquely multicultural landscape of Hawaiʻi. Our aim is to empower queer communities through education and engagement, immersive digital experiences, exhibitions, performances, public art installations, markers, and monuments that serve as visible reminders of our shared humanity and the values that bind us together.

    Stories   

People

The Abduction and Rescue of Kaomi
Plantation Marriage 1920
Arnie Sciullo Sues Maui College
We Introduce … 'Lulu’
Princess Abigail Kawānanako
Da Moms: Josephine Chang and Susan Roth
Sabrina McKenna - Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice
KYLEE VALDEZ FLIPS SCRIPT ON TRANSPHOBIC WESTBORO CHURCH
Twinkle Borge
Hui Moʻolelo Oral Histories
Charmaine Lee Anderson
Sina Sison
Frank Palani Kahala
Robert and John Gregg Allerton
Michael Molloy & Tom Hilgers: A Sacred Legacy
Ka Poʻe ʻAiā o ka Honua - The Tabooless People of the Earth
Female Impersonators in Early 20th Century Hawaiʻi
John G. McDermott's "Out in Paradise"
John Kauffman - Hawaiʻi Theatre for Youth
JERRINE KAIULANI JEFFRIES
Jerry Canada: the Murder that shocked Maui's Gay Community
Al & Jane Nakatani
Karen Anna

Places

MADAM MCBEAN'S BORDELLO
The Glade
Rainbow Shower Tree
Da Spirit Market of Kakaʻako
First Gay Parade in Waikiki
Kauai’s First Pride Parade
Kagirinaki Ai to Jihi: Inclusion in Japanese Communities in HI
Politics, Policy, Pride - The Saga of HB444 on Civil Unions 2009
Baehr v. Lewin 1991
Being Gay in Hawaiʻi 1996
Senator Gil Kahele on Same-Sex Relations in Hawaiʻi
Joey Bertram - First Openly Gay, HIV+ State Legislator
Dr. Cyril Goshima
KEALOHA “LOVEY LEE" KELEKOLIO
Maddalynn Sesepasara - Mana Māhū on Maunakea
Kim Coco Iwamoto
The Life & Loves of Hiroshi Tagami
KE AHU A LONO
Kapaemahu
Queen's Surf Beach
WAIKĪKĪ TAVERN
Metropolitan Community Church of Hawaiʻi
Allerton Garden Kauaʻi
The Kūhiō District

Groups & Events

Kānaka Worldviews
Miss Gay Molokaʻi 1985
Lima Kokua
JACL Honolulu Supports Same-Sex Marriage
How Hawaiʻi Changed the World Forever in 1993
Toward Queer Justice in Hawaiʻi Digital and Traveling Exhibition
Equality Hawaii
Living True Aloha by kuʻualoha hoʻomanawanui
Life Foundation

Hawai’i Queer Histories Map

Explore some of the key sites in Hawaiʻi’s queer history. From an ancient monument honoring gender-fluid healers to the birthplace of the same-sex marriage movement, these are landmarks of the ongoing voyages of our diverse LGBTQ+ Māhū communities.

The map is available both on the website and on Bloomberg Connects, an arts and culture app you can download to your smart phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Men of the Kawai’ulaokala halau, Kumu Hula Keli’iho’omalu Puchalski, dance to “He melee no Kauikeaouli” during the dedication of Kamehameha III, A Sculpture by Thomas Jay Warren, at Thomas Square, Tuesday in honor of King Kamehameha.

Hawai’i is the Piko

Grounded in Kanaka philosophy and the cultures and worldviews of others who have come to call Hawaiʻi home, the project will offer broader understandings and deeper perspectives on identities, love, relationships, family, and inclusion. Our title “Lei Pua ʻAla” (garland of fragrant flowers) reflects a Hawaiian perspective on the beauty and diversity of our rainbow communities.

(Photo by Bruce Asato, Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

FREE HULA SHOW

Wednesdays 6:30-7:30 PM

Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Return of Kapaemahu

Farm laborers working at Alexander & Baldwin’s sugar plantation on Maui.

From the Kanaka embrace of same-sex intimacy and gender duality to the experiences of queer Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Pacific Islander, and other immigrants; from missionary suppression of gender and sexual nonconformity to māhū entertainers who blazed the trail toward respect through brave acts of visibility; from gay physicians who fought HIV/AIDS with evidence-based public health measures to advocates and jurists who rocked the world by demanding marriage equality – these are just a sampling of the stories that will be gathered, restored, and shared. 

(Photo courtesy of Alexander & Baldwin)

A multicultural history

Hui Moʻolelo: Lei Pua ʻAla

A collaboration with Maui Public Art Corps, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Maui Historical Society, and the County of Maui that cultivates stories that celebrate Hawaiʻi history, culture and sense of place and create positive shifts in public attitudes toward queer rights and inclusion.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sign-up & Share Your Stories

Sign up for occasional newsletters, events, and invites.

We also invite you to share stories about the people, places, and events that have shaped the history of Hawaii’s LGBTQ+ Māhū communities. To get involved, send us a note using the form and weʻll reach out to discuss the best way to include and share your story.

Contact: QueerHistoriesofHawaii@mail.com

KAPAEMAHU festival still 5 ceremony.jpg

What visible signs of queer histories and unsung heroes do you see in your community?