Join us at the Kahuku Public and School Library on July 15, 2025, 5:30 - 7:00 pm, for a special presentation of The Return of Kapaemahu, a short film preview of the live performance composed and choreographed by Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne that tells the story of Hawaiiʻs legendary gender fluid healers.

Special guest Mark Mauikānehoalani Lovell will share his experience as a performer in the production, which takes place every Wednesday at 6:30pm on the Kūhiō Beach Hula Mound, steps from the site of the sacred stones in Waikīkī, where the māhū healers once lived and performed their miraculous cures.

A new performance blending hula, contemporary dance and storytelling is set to premiere in Wailuku this June, created by acclaimed Native Hawaiian choreographer Christopher Kaui Morgan and inspired by queer Hawaiian moʻolelo.

Presented by Maui Public Art Corps in partnership with Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/Maui Historical Society, the County of Maui and the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, the site-specific pop-up performance is grounded in personal narratives shared through the Hui Moʻolelo: Lei Pua ʻAla initiative.

Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi presented the premiere of their new hula show, “The Return of Kapaemahu,” which is based on the long-hidden story of four legendary voyagers of dual male and female spirit who brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi long ago.

The premiere took place two days after President Donald Trump declared that “there are only two genders, male and female,” saying that is “official policy of the United States government.”

Despite the president’s declaration, Native Hawaiians and Tahitians celebrated mahu people, who embodied both masculinity and femininity in spirit, as they were revered as healers and leaders.

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.