In Chinatown, a poignant tribute honors the heroes and heartache of the ‘Glades era’
The plaque was unveiled Friday by the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai’i project alongside legendary Glade performer Brandy Lee and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. It celebrates the legacy of The Glade nightclub, which was a hot spot for nightlife for nearly 20 years starting in the early 60s.
While the “Glades era” was a glamorous and fun time, it also carried a dark history. The nightclub was a safe space for transgender and drag performers and thrived at a time when those people were almost guaranteed to experience violence and discrimination in everyday life.
Notable drag club Glade to be memorialized with plaque for PRIDE Month
June is PRIDE Month across the nation. In honor of Hawaii's own queer history, some LGBTQ community leaders will soon be unveiling a plaque and a walking tour highlighting areas of town that have special meaning to the queer community.
Hawaii Has Much To Celebrate This Pride Month, But Also Much Still To Do
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.
Local Filmmakers Dive into Hidden LGBTQ Histories among Hawaiʻi’s Cultural Communities
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
New Project Aims to Preserve Hawaiʻi’s Queer Histories
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.