Hawaii’s first Pride event was in 1974, four years after the Stonewall uprising that marks the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ era. But Hawaii has a far longer history of respecting the value of every individual, and has emerged as one of the few places in the world where we continue to advance rather than regress.

It’s a complex and inspiring history that deserves to be better known.

From marriage equality in recent political times to acknowledging māhū voices in Native Hawaiian culture, sexual diversity is part of Hawaiʻi's history. Those stories will be told on a wider scale thanks to a three-year, $900,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Listen to the interview here

A new project known as Lei Pua ʻAla seeks to collect Hawaiʻi’s queer histories. KHON2.com was able to catch up with the busy directors of the project, Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, to talk about this new initiative.

Wilson and Hamer are filmmakers who have lived in Hawaiʻi for 20 years. During their time here, they have delved into the deep histories, even some that have been forgotten over time, like the Kapaemāhū Stones that are in Waikīkī. So, let’s meet Wilson and Hamer and take a look at what they’re doing to preserve facets of Hawaiʻi’s history.