Hawai'i News Now coverage of Honolulu Pride 2025 includes an explanation of the history of The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu and a spotlight on the ceremony held at the monument on Waikiki Beach that honors its important legacy in celebrating Hawaiian culture and what it means to be māhū and queer in the Pacific.

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.

Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne joined Sunrise with details on how dancers can register to audition for The Return of Kapaemahu, a new show produced by the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project that will run weekly for one year on the Waikiki hula mound.