Reshaping the commemorative landscape of Hawaii’s diverse Māhū-LGBTQ+ communities
Lei Pua ʻAla
is a multidimensional project to document and memorialize gender and sexual diversity across the uniquely multicultural landscape of Hawaiʻi.
end the harms of centuries of marginalization and erasure and empower queer communities through education and engagement programs, immersive digital experiences, exhibitions, performances, public art installations, historical markers, and monuments that serve as visible reminders of our shared humanity and the values that bind us together.
Our aim is to
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.
Hawai’i is the Piko
Sample Stories
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 campaigns to advocates and jurists who rocked the world by demanding marriage equality in a world that had yet to imagine it – 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 installations, and monuments.
A richly multicultural history
What visible signs of queer histories and unsung heroes do you see in your community?
Community Participation - Share Your Stories
Community participation is invited to help bring forward stories of the people, places, and events that have shaped the history of Hawaii’s Māhū - LGBTQ+ communities and to create new ways to honor, uplift, and activate their collective power for the benefit of current and future generations.
You can join us by sharing your stories and ideas about the people, places, and events that have shaped Hawaii’s queer past. Send us a note through the form and we’ll be in touch to discuss the best way to include and share your story.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
This is the outside of the Glade according to an old system