The Kūhiō District
For over two decades, from the mid 1970s to late 1990s, the Kūhiō District was the heart of queer life in Hawaiʻi. Anchored by Hula's Bar and Lei Stand, at the corner of Kūhiō Avenue and Kalaimoku Street in the heart of Waikīkī, it included Hamburger Mary's, Café Valentino, 80% Straight, and a variety of other bars, clubs, restaurants and shops that served the LGBTQ+ Māhū community.
The area got its start when Bob Magoon, an heir to the estate owning most of the land on the block, decided to open a bar with his business partner Jack Law. Unlike any gay bar on the continent, Hula's was built as an outdoor venue, shielded only by a majestic banyan tree. Later, as the existing apartment buildings on the block were repurposed for business use, it was Magoon's idea to call the area the “Kūhiō District,” in honor of San Francisco's “Castro District,” hoping to attract the growing LGBTQ+ tourist trade.
He was successful, but equally important was the way the area turned into a community space for Hawaiʻi's own queer community. It was in the Kūhiō District that some of Honolulu's earliest public pride events were planned, that the pros and cons of same-sex marriage were hotly debated, that progressive politicians first openly voiced their support, and that the Life Foundation, one of the first HIV/AIDS service organizations in the Pacific, opened its doors.
In 1996, economic needs forced Magoon to sell the Kūhiō District properties, which were flattened to make way for the luxury Ritz-Carlton Residences, ending an era in Hawaiʻi's queer community history. Hula’s relocated to Kapahulu Avenue, at the opposite end of Waikīkī.
But memories of this vibrant era remain in the hearts and minds of many who, along with the broader movement for LGBTQ+ rights, were coming of age and finding ways to be visible and gay in community with others.
Story by Dean Hamer. Images from the collection of DeSoto Brown.
If you have photos, memories, and/or stories to share about the Kūhiō District, please contact us at queerhistoriesofhawaii@mail.com