Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne is set to breathe new life into an ancient Hawaiian legend with The Return of Kapaemahu. This groundbreaking live performance premieres on January 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM on the hula mound at Kuhio Beach in Waikīkī and will run every Wednesday throughout the year. The free, one-hour show promises a stunning blend of tradition and innovation.

Renowned for his contemporary choreography deeply rooted in traditional hula, Makuakāne introduces audiences to hula mua—a modern approach incorporating contemporary music. His vision brings a fresh perspective to the story of Kapaemahu, a tale of four legendary māhū healers of dual male and female spirit. These figures are celebrated for their wisdom, compassion, and healing abilities, as detailed in the Oscar-shortlisted animated short film Kapaemahu by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu.

As we observe Transgender Day of Remembrance, we are also reminded of Hawaiʻi’s long history of gender diversity and the importance of preserving those stories that have been marginalized or forgotten.

Dean Hamer, an award-winning filmmaker, author, researcher and co-director of the Lei Pua ʻAla Project, is one of the leading voices in bringing these histories to light.

His work through projects like Kapaemāhū and Lei Pua ʻAla has uncovered and celebrated the rich, though often overlooked, history of gender diversity in Hawaiʻi.

“Our project is really a transgender year of remembrance,” Hamer said. “It’s about remembering the people who have come before us, the ones whose stories have been hidden or erased.”

On October 1, 2024, Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi and King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center launched a new traveling exhibition that explores the intersections of law, gender, and sexuality in Hawaiʻi. The exhibition, free and open to the public, is on display daily throughout October and November in the rotunda of Aliʻiolani Hale, home of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. Following its display at Aliʻiolani Hale, the exhibition will be available to libraries, schools, courts, and other civic institutions in Hawaiʻi interested in being a temporary host site. The exhibition panels can be previewed as an

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi, Japanese American Citizens League Honolulu, and Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi announce a public event aimed at highlighting the historical contributions Japanese in Hawaiʻi have made in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and equality.

This free event is open to the public and aims to engage participants in conversation about how to ensure dignity, respect, and inclusion for all families, congregations, and communities throughout the islands, now and into the future.

On Oct. 1, Honolulu made history by unveiling the world’s first Official Pride Tree — the Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower, Cassia x nealiae. This brilliant and fragrant Hawaiian hybrid honors two women, Wilhelmina Tenney and Marie Neal, who courageously lived in long-term lesbian relationships in the early 20th century at a time when such love often had to be hidden.

As community historians, we were fortunate to work with DeSoto Brown of the Bishop Museum to present this inspiring story to Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who proclaimed the tree as a symbol of Honolulu’s commitment to LGBTQ+ and mahu diversity. And as a gay couple who are legally married — an opportunity not available to Wilhelmina Tenney or Marie Neal and their partners — we felt a profound honor in dedicating a plaque to this tree in the birthplace of the same-sex marriage movement.

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.

Hawaiʻi’s journey toward marriage equality is rich and multifaceted. It’s been shaped by remarkable individuals and their intertwined stories.

And a new exhibit at the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court showcases the people and the stories of Hawaii that led to a major transformation not just for the United States, but the entire world. The exhibit is part of the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawai'i project which is focused on preserving Hawaii’s long and multifaceted history of gender and sexual diversity.

With Honolulu Pride Month taking place in October, the city unveiled the Official Pride Tree of Honolulu at a Pride flag raising ceremony which also served as the dedication of a new plaque honoring the tree gifted to the city by the Lei Pua 'ala Queer Histories of Hawai'i project.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi proclaimed the Rainbow Shower Tree (Cassia x nealiae ‘Wilhelmina Tenney’) on Oct. 1, 2024. This makes Honolulu the first city in the world to have this kind of symbol.

The Glade’s history has received renewed attention from institutions like Honolulu’s acclaimed Bishop Museum, which featured ephemera from the “Boys Will Be Girls Revue” in a 2022 exhibition exploring the history of māhū in Hawai’i, a partial collaboration with the The Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project. In June, Lei Pua ‘Ala also unveiled an official plaque bearing the seal of the City and County of Honolulu at the former site of the nightclub, now Chinatown’s Maunakea Marketplace, detailing the Glade’s history as a queer landmark.

The Lei Pua ʻAla project is looking for stories across all our communities, including and beyond the LGBTQ+ Māhū community, but are especially interested in stories from outside urban Oʻahu. We welcome contributions from kūpuna and emerging writers, as well as researchers and scholarly writers.

The Bishop Museum is unveiling an exciting new virtual exhibit that takes visitors deep into the rich history of Hawai‘i. The “Healer Stones of Kapaemāhū” exhibition brings to life the story of four extraordinary individuals who were honored with the placement of four large stones on Waikīkī Beach.

Perennial favorite Hawaii continues to garner top honors as Bay Area Reporter readers' favorite domestic getaway. For those interested in learning about Hawaiian LGBTQ history, the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer History Trail continues to add sites to its list of important places for visitors to explore. During Pride Month local leaders in Honolulu unveiled a historic marker for the Glade Show Club that was once housed at 152 N. Hotel Street in the city's Chinatown.

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.

Two filmmakers have created the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories Trail project, aimed at documenting and memorializing gender and sexual diversity across Hawaiʻi's multicultural landscape.

The premise of the project is to uplift queer stories in the community through historical markers, according to the Lei Pua' Ala Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi co-founders Dean Hamar and Joe Wilson. By following the digital map in the Bloomberg Connects app, users will learn about eight key sites in Hawaiʻi's queer history.

Listen to the interview here

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi on Friday held a ceremony celebrating International Pride Day — unveiling a plaque memorializing the historic Glade Show Club in Chinatown.

The club was a venue for members of the LGBTQ+/mahu community during the 1960s and ’70s, celebrating their individuality amid adversity and persecution.

Installed by Maunakea Marketplace Chair Ave Kwok and his team, the plaque marks the inaugural stop on the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer History Trail — an initiative envisioned by filmmakers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer that aims to bring awareness about the queer experience through historical markers, digital experiences and performances.

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.

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’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.