During the Queen’s Surf beach plaque unveiling ceremony, Mayor Blangiardi spoke to a cheerful, at times emotional, crowd of local LGBTQ+ youth who spread out on picnic blankets and kūpuna who came in wheelchairs, many of whom used to frequent certain Chinatown spots and play volleyball at Queen’s Beach.

“I don’t even want to say we’re just supporting,” the mayor said. “We’re doing everything we possibly can on every level to demonstrate that and celebrate who we are as a people.”

Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project along with the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation worked to install the plaque. It’s the latest addition to a larger effort to memorialize LGBTQ+ history as Hawaii’s history, including gathering oral testimonies and creating a digital and interactive map of ancient and modern sites that are tied to moʻolelo (tales and legends) and historic milestones.

In a heartwarming event, the City and County of Honolulu marked the beginning of Honolulu Pride Month by raising the pride flag and dedicating a very special tree. The 2024 was the fourth time the city hosted such an event; and the crowd continues to grow each year.

The highlight of the day was the dedication of a new plaque gifted to the City by Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi for the Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower Tree. This beautiful tree, which has has been the official tree of Honolulu since 1963, is now also the Official Pride Tree and a symbol visibility and inclusion for the LGBTQ+Māhū community.