New plaque unveiling on Wednesday celebrates a gathering site for LGBTQ+ and Māhū communities

Spectrum News Hawai’i - June 4, 2025:

Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaii and Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation invite the public to the unveiling and dedication of a new plaque celebrating the history of Queen’s Surf Beach in Kapiolani Park on Wednesday.

The June 4 ceremony begins at 4 p.m. and will include remarks by Mayor Rick Blangiardi, community elders and special guests. Kumu Patrick Makuakāne will conduct a blessing followed by an ʻawa ceremony and picnic on the lawn.

Queen’s Surf Beach was a popular gathering spot for Hawaii’s diverse LGBTQ+ Māhū communities in the 1970s, and by 1974, it became the site of the first gay pride celebration in commemoration of the 1968 Stonewall Revolt in New York.

“Queen’s Surf provided a sense of community and family for many young people who were not accepted by their own families,” said Sina Sison in a release. Sison is a respected community advocate who was a Queen’s Surf regular in the 70s and 80s. “It was a place to learn about Hawaiian culture and traditions and make friends with people from across the islands and around the world.”

Unlike other gay beaches in the area, Queen’s Surf was highly visible to the public symbolizing Hawaii’s generally more accepting environment. Everyone was welcome at Queen’s.

Bill Char was another Queen’s Surf regular and a master lei maker who was named a Living Treasure of Hawaii this year. “Saturday night, we’d play volleyball all day, until they shut the lights off. We would sleep down at the beach so that the next morning when we woke up, we could take a shower right there, brush our teeth and be back on the court.”

Created by Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaii, the Queen’s Surf Beach plaque is the newest in a series of physical and digital historical markers to document and memorialize gender and sexual diversity across Hawaii’s multicultural landscape.

“The aim of our work is to make the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ Māhū folks, who have always been part of Hawaii’s story, more visible, because being seen and understood increases possibilities for being accepted and valued in the place you call home,” said project co-director Joe Wilson.

“We had no idea we’d be doing this work at a time when queer lives, and queer stories, are quite literally being erased from the public record,” added project co-director Dean Hamer. “We’re fortunate to be living in a place where our government is working with us instead of trying to eliminate us or pretend we don’t exist.”

The historical marker is a plaque mounted on a large stone selected by master craftsman Keoni Mossman, whose connection to the site comes through his uncle Sterling Mossman, the “hula cop” famous for entertaining at the Barefoot Bar at Queen’s Surf in the 1950s and 60s. The Queen’s Surf Restaurant and Bar were demolished in 1972 to make way for a public beach.

The new marker is intended to inspire current and future generations to “reclaim and reactivate the beach.” This includes The Māhūi, a group of young cultural advocates who are part of the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation.

“For decades, Queen’s Surf provided a safe space for fellowship, cultural activities, sports and storytelling,” said Legacy Foundation Executive Director Randy Soriano. “To honor the history of this place and connect generations of queer people, our Māhūi has centered monthly community gatherings and our annual Pride kick-off picnic at the site, recreating the energy that once regularly filled this beach.”