Reshaping the commemorative landscape of Hawaiiʻs diverse māhū-LGBTQ+ communities
Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi is a multidimensional effort
to uncover and enliven understanding of the long, often hidden history of Hawaii’s gender and sexual minority communities, and to mark on the commemorative landscape the journey towards inclusion in our culturally diverse society.
The aim of this community-rooted program
is to end the harms of erasure and empower queer people by creating positive and valued reflections of our identities in public memory. We engage with the public to effect a stronger and more equitable society by understanding the past, provoking conversations that compel us to question, act, and create change.
Hawai’i is the Piko
Grounding ourselves in the worldviews of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and other cultures of this place can decolonize the way we think about gender and sexual identity today. These Kanaka and multicultural worldviews have the potential to offer broader perspectives on gender and sexual identities and help us create a space of possibility and inclusion like no other in the world.
A richly multicultural history
From the Kanaka embrace of same-sex intimacy and gender duality to the experiences of queer Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and other immigrants; from missionary suppression of nonconformity to māhū entertainers who blazed the trail toward respect through brave acts of visibility; from gay physicians who fought HIV/AIDS with evidence 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 through hula, song, dance, and written and spoken word, immersive digital experiences and exhibitions, educational resources, and public art and monuments.
What visible signs of queer people, places, and events do you see in your community?
You can join us by sharing your story and ideas about the people, places, and events that have shaped our islands queer past.
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Hello, World!