JUNE 2015

june 2015

Volume 7 Issue 10

THE LEGACY FOUNDATION

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4 THE LEGACY FOUNDATION Unites Honolulu Pride 8 david brustein Running in Pumps 14 Rebecca copeland

Losing One Child, Gaining Another

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20 David McEwan

The Man Who Can’t Say No

26 maui pride

Four Is a Charm

eXpression808.com to

and have our current issue mailed to you

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One Pride

now let’s get to work!

Hawai‘i has become a mecca for gay people. The percentage of LGBT in the general population is the highest of any state in the union (5.1%). We’ve got marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws - and we finally have a united Pride!

There is so much left to do.

Unfinished Business: Ethnic Closets There is still reluctance to acknowledge gay people as equals in just about every ethnic and religious community. Several communities have lost their own indigenous understandings of sex and gender, such as the various places of origin among European Americans who were swept up in the 4 | ju n e 201 5 - E X PR E SSI ON808.C OM

double-whammy of Christian and macho-based homophobia that was spread around the world by colonial powers. The same is true for Samoan, Tongan, and Fiji islanders living here. For LGBT Micronesians, things are doubly difficult because of barriers they face just for being Micronesian many LGBT people from the Asian Pacific cannot come out to their families. As significant the strides that Maori and Hawaiian communities have made, gender-variant and same-sex-loving members may still find unnecessary obstacles thrown in their way due to church affiliation.

Education Each new generation appears to be less homophobic

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and less transphobic. But we cannot assume the next generation will fix problems with education. The recent row over Pono Choices shows how resistant people are to making the final move from tolerance to appreciation, and that resistance translates into insults and violence against LGBT youth.

Education also includes using the human resources that we have around us.

For example, the film Kumu Hina and others like it have been made in Hawai‘i and deal with local issues concerning LGBT people. This month’s interview with David McEwan has accounts of both the AIDS crisis and the history of marriage equality that are not found in the books. Hawai‘i has plenty such resources just waiting to be utilized.

Changing LGBT From Marginally Human to Baseline Human The biggest weapon homophobes have against us is using sexuality and gender nonconformity to define us as outsiders. Although every community in the world has its sexual facet and peculiarities of gender expression, none seem to be subjected to the same degree of obsession concerning the intimate lives of LGBTs. One way to cancel this obsession is to demonstrate our commonality with other communities that have been misrepresented as somehow too far from the norm of what is acceptably human. LGBT is made up of every ethnicity, orientation, and gender identity - we are more representative of humanity than any ethnicity.

Identify Our Problems as Problems All Humans Face David Brustein (also featured in this issue) told the story about how a plaintiff (named “John Doe” to ensure privacy) who brought his dentist to court. “He was discriminated against based on orientation and perceived HIV status,” said Brustein, “but he was not willing to tell his dentist his HIV status. The case was dismissed by the Circuit Court.” Since the plaintiff did not disclose his orientation or status, the court reasoned there could be no discrimination against him unless those things had been revealed. When asked why the case should move forward, the attorneys acting on behalf of John Doe EX PR ESS ION808.COM - j u n e 2015 | 5

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B o a rd M e mb e r s Top R ow Left - Right

Ro b e r t K a u ff m an D av i d M c E w a n D av i d B r u ste i n To ny S i n g h Ram o n D e l Ba rrio B ottom Row Left - Right

W i l l i e S a be l R eb e c c a Co p elan d Jim Miller S us a n M e l c h e r t D.J. Dole

said, “Goldberg.” Intrigued, the judge asked them to clarify, and they did: “Imagine there are two people named Goldberg, one of them Jewish, the other one not Jewish, who get denied services because of perceived Jewishness, which is against the law. Does the law against discrimination apply only to the Jewish Goldberg, or does it apply to both?” The Goldberg argument was presented to the five Justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court, who then reinstated the case.

Everyone, including gay people, should realize that LGBT issues are bigger than just the LGBT community.

For instance, one of our biggest challenges to come is to eliminate bullying against anyone.

LGBT Tourism: Setting an Example Most of the world is nowhere near as progressive as Hawai‘i. This includes many of the states in the mainland.

In the eyes of the world, Hawai‘i is considered to be exceptional in many ways: natural beauty, climate, and lifestyle. All that admiration gives us positive attention not granted to, let’s say, Ohio (and this is not to bash Ohio - just saying). When tourists come our way,

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it would be good for them to see a society in which LGBT tourists are just as welcome.

The state has yet to actively pursue the Pink Dollar, and it is hard not to believe that the reticence is due to fear of offending homophobic American tourists (and not just American tourists - visitors from East Asian countries as well).

But Middle America (and East Asia as well) has had plenty of time to absorb the shock of realizing there are, and always have been, queers in their midst. Keep this in mind: Much of the same mainland demographic that is homophobic is racist as well. Yet the amazing mix of ethnicities and skin tones one sees strolling down Kalakaua Avenue, the majority neither African American nor European American in appearance, doesn’t appear to dampen the throngs of mainlanders who, if they really wanted to be around people who look like themselves, could find places much closer to home.

Here is a second problem. As long as we do not openly welcome gay people in our brochures (just like we welcome every other community that is ready to throw money at us), we indirectly perpetuate the impression the LGBT community is somehow not good enough.

Sometimes a picture in a coupon magazine is worth a

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thousand sensitivity sessions.

Establishing the Hawai‘i LGBT Community as an International Force for Good Lucky we live Hawai‘i. We can no longer blame the state for inhibiting our rights, nor can the years-long division over Honolulu Pride be used as an excuse to stay on the sidelines.

At this moment in our history, Hawai‘i is poised to become an international player in LGBT rights. At the forefront of our potential destiny is the Legacy Foundation, an organization that, through the LGBT Center in Waikiki it created, provides a safe space and a meeting place for LGBT organizations. The synergy that is created with several groups meeting on common ground is itself a force in our favor.

In addition, we have Pride celebrations in Maui, Kauai, and Hawai‘i Island. Each of the LGBT groups and busi-

nesses on those islands deserve local support as well as patronage from their O‘ahu sisters and brothers.

Check out the article on Maui Pride in this issue to see what is happening on the Valley Isle.

But too few people carry the burden, and yet have lots to say. Get involved, and help the Legacy Foundation change the world.

On a Positive Note…

The Hawai‘i State Legislature just passed a bill allowing transgender people to change the gender on their birth certificates without having to undergo sex reassignment surgery first. One of many people who worked hard to make this happen is Rebecca Copeland, who is featured in this issue discussing the bill, her son who inspired her to help push the bill through, and some advice for parents of transgender kids.

Happy Pride!

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David Brustein, Vice Chair and Director of the Legacy Foundation, has seen hard times for the LGBT community.

He remembers when the Kuhio District, the once-thriving gay heart of Waikiki, closed; when the state legislature passed a constitutional amendment giving itself the right to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman, even though the Hawai‘i Supreme Court approved samesex marriage; and when the downtown Gay and Lesbian Community Center closed.

All these losses are old news now - marriage equality is the law in Hawai‘i. Waikiki has several LGBT businesses within pub-crawl of each other, and the Legacy Foundation created The LGBT Center Waikiki, which celebrated its first anniversary this March, not far from those establishments. Legacy’s latest accomplishment is a doozy - the foundation has managed to bring back a united Pride celebration for Honolulu.

“You have to learn to walk before you can run in pumps,” said Brustein. In other words, don’t take on too much as once. Nevertheless, the foundation has gone from walking to running only one year after opening the Center. Although Legacy’s mission is to offer facilities to LGBT organizations rather than engage directly in anything other than supporting The Center itself, the foundation has agreed to take on Honolulu Pride as well.

We asked Brustein about running (in pumps or even stiletto heels) the island’s biggest LGBT event, the need for further activism, and his Wish List for Legacy.

How did the Legacy Foundation end up managing Pride?

After The Legacy Foundation found [and opened] our current space, Pride was the next natural step. Legacy did not go into the situation with the desire to take over Pride, and there were differences of opinions as to whether this was in our best interests. However, after several full board discussions, we all came to the same conclusion that this was the pono way to proceed for all concerned. Thus, Legacy gave me the authority to bring all concerned into mediation.

Although this too took several more months, all parties came to a meeting of the minds for the greater good.

Congratulations! We’ve heard that people are really stepping up to participate, especially for the parade.

We’ve gone from four to eight floats in a couple of weeks for the parade, not counting the Royal Hawaiian band, U.S. military color guard, our two grand marshals Representative Chris Lee and Attorney Rebecca Copeland, and much more.

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Running in Pumps By: mickey weems | Photos: JTL

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Our parade Chair Willie Sabel says we’re not having a parade down Kalakaua Avenue.

We’re having a show!

Besides giving Hawai’i a united Pride, what other accomplishments has Legacy achieved in its first year?

This year has been one of simply building the new and very cool loft type LGBT Center in Waikiki, putting together an amazing group of talented and hard-working board members and volunteers; and obtaining funding for eventual self-sustainability.

If we accomplish this, we all have reason to be proud.

What are the biggest obstacles?

Funding and broad-based community involvement are presently our biggest obstacles.

What do you say to people who believe that there is no longer the need for activism?

Bigotry, ignorance, and homophobia did not end with the passage of same-sex marriage or this past legislative session’s passage of the transgender birth certificate bill. We also cannot look at Hawai‘i as an insular bubble. On the national front, there is still no protection for LGBT people in the areas of employment, housing, and places of public accommodation. The newest battle 10 | j un e 20 1 5 - E X PR E SSI ON808.C OM

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appears to be the Right’s push for religious exemptions as a license to discriminate. On the world front, let’s not forget there are many places where LGBT people can be imprisoned or put to death simply for expressing who they are or who they love. Places like Russia, the Middle East, and many countries in Africa and Asia come to mind. I look at it as our own Holocaust.

No need for activism? I don’t think so.

So an enterprising person wants to become involved with Legacy. What would you require of that person? And what kinds of things are available for volunteers?

We want people with passion, time, and integrity who are willing to also roll up their sleeves and get to work for the community. We are also looking for help in simply manning The Center, Mondays through Saturdays, so we can firmly establish drop-in hours, respond to phone calls in a timely fashion, and coordinate community activities.

Give us your Legacy Wish List.

1. Monetary donations of all amounts. We even have an Auto-Debit Program so people can sign up for as little as $10 per month, about the price of two Starbucks. We have built the Center, we have put together a great board of very talented people, and we are receptive to what the community wants. The rest is up to Hawai‘i’s LGBT community.

2. Corporate donations and sponsors who want to support the foundation and the community.

3. People who can write grant requests for projects, funding a full time executive director, and other pressing needs.

4. A full time executive director.

5. Volunteers for Honolulu Pride.

6. Assistance with social media, marketing, and news announcements.

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7. 100% use of The Center.

8. Development of our electronic community calendar so all groups can better coordinate their events and functions.

9. Community turnout of all Legacy, LGBT events, and functions.

And what brand of pumps on your wish list? Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo?

I vote for Blahniks - they bring out my showgirl legs!

David Brustein Giving Props to Robert Kauffman, “Our Hardest Working Board Member” Without Robert, we would not have The Center we have today.

Robert was intimately involved in the approval of our lease by DLNR [Department of Land and Natural Resources] and once we took possession, Robert almost single handedly did most of the renovation work himself. He gutted the room (ceilings, floors, etc. - not an easy job) and then went about painting, designing, and laying out the space. He then put together our furniture and made the loft type space cool and useable for all. When new windows were approved, Robert coordinated all of the necessary work to make that happen and give us the beautiful view we all now enjoy.

Robert’s attention to detail, countless hours and can-do attitude are unmatched. For every board meeting, Robert is instrumental in keeping us on track with our finances, security needs, 12 | j un e 20 1 5 - E X PR E SSI ON808.C OM

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and goals. Similarly, for every fundraiser, Robert has given 110% to make each event a success.

Every board or organization would be blessed to have a Robert Kauffman!

Well Hello, Pride 2015! What’s New? Legacy Board member Camaron Miyamoto gives us an update on Legacy’s refurbished Pride: The amount and quality of the youth programming for our Honolulu Pride rivals that of any that I can recall in the U.S. I am excited to give kudos to our fearless Pride leaders - Ramon Del Barrio, Chair of the Pride Festival, and Willie Sabel, Chair of the Parade.

June 2: there will be a writing master class with Scott Hislop, performing excerpts from I Want to Bury My Testimony at the LGBT Center. Scott is an amazing dancer as well as an actor and writer. Come share his stories and learn about the creative writing process.

June 3: youth programming presents Kumu Hina and her inspiring film, A Place in the Middle. It will change the way you think about life and acceptance!

June 4: there is an exciting opportunity to show that you think you can dance during a master dance class with stars Mark Kanemura and Jeremy Hudson. It is going to be a positively uplifting event.

No matter what your age and how you identify, there will be exciting and fun opportunities for you to participate in the 2015 Honolulu Pride - I look forward to seeing you there!

For the week-long schedule of events leading up to the parade and festival, visit: HawaiiLGBTLegacyFoundation.com.

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Losing One Child...

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...and Gaining Another

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By Mickey weems | Photos: jtl

“Where your child is on the gender spectrum is not a choice.”

Rebecca Copeland made the above statement on behalf of all the parents who discover that their child is transgender, but the statement applies to all children. The wonderful thing about this statement, and about Copeland for that matter, is the forgiveness implicit in those words. If gender is not a choice, there is no reason to punish the child on the one hand, nor is there reason to feel guilty as if the parents have done something wrong on the other.

After living this truth since her son announced that he was not the female identity assigned him at birth, Copeland did indeed make a choice: She stood by her boy. Not only that, she became an advocate for transgender people. “I have served on the Legacy Foundation’s board for approximately a year and a half,” she said in her eXpression! interview. “I am one of its newest members. I think I provide a unique perspective on the board not only as a woman, but as the parent of an LGBT youth.”

She also worked with Equality Hawai‘i on getting people the right to define their gender as they see fit: “After Equality Hawai‘i’s executive director took a new employment position that prevented him from advocating directly for HB631 [the transgender birth certificate bill], I stepped in to take the reigns of meeting with the legislators and keeping the community informed. I was also instrumental in ensuring that the bill passed without a court order

provision.”

She is confident that, after all the hard work done

by Equality Hawai‘i, the bill will become law. “If signed into law by the Governor, and I think he’ll sign it, transgender individuals born in Hawai‘i will be able to change the sex designation marker on their birth certificates without the current outdated ‘sex change operation’ requirement, and through a physician affidavit-only process.” The law should go into effect on July 1.

Copeland has heard it all from those who are determined to impose the old hetero-normal stamp on everyone. “During my time working with Equality Hawai‘i on the transgender birth certificate bill, I noticed that those who refuse to support transgender rights are almost universally functioning under a fundamental lack of education on the topic.” For Copeland, the issue is not a battle over souls, but rather a process of ignorance reduction: “I believe that it is the responsibility of every parent of LGBT youth to educate others in order to make society a better place for our kids.”

The process of coming to terms with her son’s identity was neither immediate nor easy: “What was it like? In a word: emotional. My son came out as transgender two years ago, but he’d known for years before that. This was an emotional time for our son and for me. It was never a question that my husband and I would support him from the moment he told us. We assured him that we loved him, and have spent the last two years educating ourselves on transgender issues. Life isn’t always perfect, but we must all try to ensure that the lives we have are lived as fully and authentically as possible, and that is my wish for my son.”

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Copeland also has words of encouragement and counsel for parents like herself.

A Mother’s Advice 1. Give your child unconditional love.

What is unconditional love? Before our son, who was assigned female at birth, came out to us as transgender, I had little to no knowledge of what it meant. Yet the moment he told me, my automatic reaction was to show him support and love. Did I have questions and fears? Of course. Any parent who says different is lying. But we are able to provide our children with the love they need, and then deal with our fears and questions on our own without those fears impacting our child.

The suicide rate for LGBT youth is staggeringly high, but transgender youth have the highest suicide rate of any single group – with rates estimated at around 40-50%. The most important factor in lowering this rate is parental love and support.

In other words, supporting your child will save your child’s life.

identify within the binary system, it may be easier to navigate through their own and their child’s transition because we are still able to assign the simple gender labels we have been ingrained with our entire lives. For those whose children identify somewhere other than “male” or “female” on the gender spectrum, the road to understanding may take longer or be more difficult.

3. Do your homework!

There is a vast amount of resources available on the internet to educate you on what it means to be transgender. Being educated on this topic will also better prepare you for the inevitable discussions you will need to have with family, friends, and acquaintances. Knowledge is power.

4. Reach out to others.

2. Be Ready to abandon all assumptions about orientation, gender, and physiology.

When a child first comes out, the parents are likely to feel alone and isolated. They will feel like there is no one else who has gone through the same thing. But there are other parents out there.

Sharing experiences sometimes gives us the motivation to go on even in the face of discrimination and rejection from others. I was fortunate to meet some very special people not long after my son came out who helped me in my own journey – my own transition.

For parents like me whose transgender children

LGBT youth face extremely high rates of bullying.

Parents and schools must take a zero tolerance stance, regardless of the reasons that bullying may occur. In the absence of zero tolerance we not only make our schools unsafe, we also create an environment that leads to unacceptable rates of youth suicide. Parents have an obligation

Gender, orientation, and physiology are on a spectrum. In many cultures, we have been conditioned to the binary system of gender – taught that people are either male or female. But scientifically speaking, this simply isn’t true – binary gender is a social construct rather than a biological fact.

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5. There should be zero tolerance for bullying.

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to protect their kids, go to the schools if necessary.

During the 2015 legislative session, the Hawai‘i legislature failed to pass a bill advocated by Equality Hawai‘i that would have implemented a statutory requirement that state agencies, including the State Department of Education, address antibullying measures. Thankfully, advocates intend to keep the bill alive next legislative session.

6. Don’t stress out about the other siblings.

If your transgender child decides to transition in any way after coming out, worrying about how to approach the topic with your other children is high on a parent’s list. In my experience, however, the younger generations are much more accepting that gender is on a spectrum, even if they are too young to think in those exact terms. Our daughter was almost eight when we told her that her sibling is a boy. We were amazed that she very quickly accepted his transition.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising given the reality that our children do not fundamentally change after coming out – our kids remain our kids and are the same as they were before.

7. Don’t get stuck on terminology.

Two years into my own transition, I still make mistakes. I still sometimes use the female pronoun when describing something my son did or said – especially late at

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night when I’m really tired. When I do so, I move forward. If appropriate, I apologize. As parents of a transgender or gender nonconforming child, we will be opened to an entire new realm of terminology and thinking. It may take time to get the words right, and it may take time to learn what terminology applies to your individual child.

Remember that it’s okay to make mistakes.

8. Open the lines of communication.

Teens especially aren’t always the most open communicators, but we should still be vigilant in talking or attempting to talk with them. Depending on whether and how your child transitions, you need to communicate with them about their needs.

Even if your child doesn’t always respond to requests for communication, you are teaching them that communication is good and showing them that you love and support them. For these same reasons, it is important to keep the lines of communication open with your child’s school to let those who spend countless hours with your child know what changes to expect.

9. Have a strong support network.

Our children are not the only ones who transition.

We transition as parents too. We may feel that we’ve lost one child, but gained another.

My son has thus far decided to transition in methodical steps over longer periods of time, so I have not yet gone through every step he will make. I have experienced social transition, pronoun shifts, and name change. But, I have yet to experience hormone therapy or any other steps in transition. Since my child is still in high school, I have yet to experience what it will be like for him when he goes to college, dates someone, or the countless other milestones we all take through life.

Keeping a support network is important so that you have others to reach out to when you have questions, when you have new or continuing fears, and when you just need to be with others who understand.

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The Man Who Can’t Say No By: Mickey Weems | Photos: Courtesy of Release

David McEwan has a serious problem: He cannot be everywhere at once. The universal constraints of time and space on the individual human body, however, don’t keep him from trying.

McEwan has been involved in just about every well nigh LGBT organization and movement under the Hawaiian sun. His connections to his native Canada as well as mainland USA give him a historical perspective on international LGBT rights that makes him a veritable encyclopedia of information about AIDS activism - as a doctor, he has firsthand experience with the plague from the beginning and marriage equality. The man has connections.

But he is more than just a great source on AIDS and marriage activism - McEwan has helped bring things back that were missing in the LGBT community in Honolulu. As a founding member of the Legacy Foundation, McEwan helped get the LGBT Center in Waikiki up and running. Legacy’s latest accomplishment is bringing together a unified Pride celebration in Honolulu - something that

needed to be done years ago. But despite the fabulousness of this latest feather in the Legacy Foundation’s cap, McEwan feared that feather might actually be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Being in charge of Pride may have too great a cost for his organization.

This was the one time he said “No” - and he talked with eXpression! about how he ended up saying “Yes.”

You are a fantastic historical resource. Could you give your own account of the AIDS crisis in Hawai‘i and abroad? The Public Needs To Know!

I have been involved with caring for People with AIDS for 33 years now, and I stopped counting after reaching 600 in the ‘90s. A few brief thoughts, and experiences perhaps. I could talk for days.

How about one key experience?

I was at a San Francisco Medical Meeting in the summer of 1981 when the first cases of Kaposi’s Sarcoma were discussed just when the CDC [Center for Disease Control] announced the first cases of pneumocystis in gay men. The world changed. In 1982, I sent Hawai‘i’s first case of AIDS-pneumocystis pneumonia to San Francisco to see Dr. Donald Abrams.

Dr. Abrams’ research was on the T-cell leukemia

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virus. We reviewed lymph nodes slides of my patient and others and discussed the clinical disease’s characteristics. Dr. Abrams said to me that he believed this new disease in gay men was caused by a virus similar to the T-cell leukemia virus, and that it was a sexually transmitted terminal disease.

So Dr. Abrams had it figured out that early on?

He said he had no money to prove it, but that was his clinical judgment. He turned out to be 100% correct. He recommended I take that message back to Hawai‘i and use that simple medical hypothesis when setting up prevention and care programs. It was understandably a heavy message for the community, and some initially called me Doctor Death. But a very ill patient of mine said to ignore them, and that I was Dr. Hope to him. That was when a few of us started the amazing Life Foundation.

Could you give us an inside scoop about the struggle for marriage equality?

Two little details most people don’t know: In the early 1990s, Dan Foley and Evan Wolfson started to strategize which would be the next states to be ready to undertake the same challenge, regardless of a win or lose here. They decided to make sure Vermont and Massachusetts were well prepared. Also Canada and California started getting advice from Dan, Evan, and the Hawai‘i community groups very early on, anticipating similar cases in their homes.

And you have kinfolk in Canada.

In 1997, my cousin in the Province of Ontario and her husband, both lawyers visited here and requested all Hawai‘i’s documents on our case, stating they will be undertaking similar cases in Canada.

They were going to try to get all the same rights and perhaps even the M word.

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Just before the Ontario announcement in 2002, my cousin’s husband called to check my address to return the historic documents we had given him! I asked what was happening, and he simply said he would get back to me. A few months later, I heard the Ontario legalization announcement of same-sex marriage and the press conference of the Canadian Prime Minister at that time simply confirming that it passed. I found out later my cousin was on the Supreme Court of the Province of Ontario and her husband was in the Prime Minister’s inner circle advisor.

What about here in Hawai‘i?

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Marriage Project Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Equal Rights Marriage Project, Civil Unions-Civil Rights, Protect Our Constitution, and Equality Hawai‘i were all incredible and essential. Volunteers galore did their best for decades, and volunteers remain ready if problems should flare up. Hawai‘i was there on day one of this cause. It became an immense undertaking for everyone with many wins and a few failures, and hopefully the final decision in June 30th 2015 - this month!

My thanks goes out to all the hateful people in town who opposed us. I always considered them my PR-Marketing Team. It is imperative for the general public to see the hate - and they did.

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We have, hopefully, made it through the worst of the AIDS crisis, and marriage equality is a reality in Hawai‘i. But we really needed to end the division concerning Honolulu Pride. The importance of a united Pride is immense, so why did you say “No?” Uniting Pride was a recent unexpected shortterm project. When David Brustein presented the conclusion of the mediation in February, the board all voted in favor of it. But I chose to symbolically abstain with reservations. I explained I just wanted to keep the board thinking about fundraising all the time!

So it was all about keeping focus?

I wanted to register my anxiety that the Parade and Festival was a huge short-term financial risk. We had no financial records as to what it would cost, and there were so many unknowns.

The Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation is still a young, fragile organization, and we only have enough funds to last until the end of 2015. It could even financially break us. It costs us approximately $3100 a month to keep the LGBT Center open. We hope 350 people will go to our website and donate a reoccurring monthly ten dollars to keep us afloat via PayPal [HawaiiLGBTLegacyFoundation.com] — or send periodic checks of any amount.

If that does not happen, ultimately I am not sure how long we can remain open.

You are officially retired. When will you really retire?

I officially retired February 28th 2015 after 43 years of practicing medicine. I cherish my profession, my experiences, and the people.

Stay tuned - I anticipate never relaxing on a beach.

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Maui Pride By: Mickey Weems | Photos: Llevellyn Lightsey/LightSea Images

Bob Kinkaid, President of Maui Pride, is pretty stoked about the first weekend in October, which is Maui’s Pride celebration.

“We have an amazingly diverse community here on Maui, and this is an opportunity to celebrate it,” he said. And this year, Maui Pride will feature two dance floor favorites, Kristine W and DJ Roland Belmares. We asked Kinkaid to tell us all about it.

Let’s start with the date you have chosen for Maui Pride. Why October?

Why not? The idea behind having Pride in October was to allow people on the mainland to have fun and enjoy Pride month in June, then hop over to Maui to keep the party going. It also gives our neighboring islands an opportunity to attend the different Prides on all the islands.

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What is the history of Maui Pride, and how many have you done?

Maui used to have Pride celebrations put on by an organization called Both Sides Now. They had over 30 years of serving the LGBT community. Our Maui Pride Organization started a brand new 501(c) (3) organization in 2011. This will be our 4th Annual Maui Pride. The idea behind Maui Pride was to put on monthly events that would help pay for our Pride festival in October. By having these monthly events we are able to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the LGBT community and our straight allies. We also wanted to be able to give back to the community, and we do that through our Maui Pride Scholarship fund.

Sounds like four is a charm. Let’s go over Pride Weekend: You begin Friday with glitter…

My oh my, do we ever! Last year we had our first ever “Glitter Party.” Let’s just say I think some people are still finding glitter in places it shouldn’t be.

So this year we’re going to do it again, with twice as much glitter! But before we lead into the Glitter

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Party, we have our Maui Pride VIP reception, which is where we announce next year’s events as well as award our scholarships and recognize community supporters. Then directly following, we begin with the Glitter Party!

Saturday sounds like a blast - you’ve got two great performers that night.

Do we ever, but don’t forget about the daytime. We start the morning out with a Pride Hike that is open for anyone to attend, then in the midafternoon we have our daytime festival. The daytime festival features live musical performances, vendor booths, Drag Olympics and so much more. Then Saturday evening we have our dinner show, which will feature an amazing dinner and the superstar Kristine W. Then directly following will be our Maui Pride After Party featuring LA’s DJ Roland. It’s going to be unforgettable!

But it doesn’t end on Saturday.

No, it sure doesn’t. After a busy weekend, we wrap up our weekend with a Pride breakfast. This is a great opportunity to celebrate another amazing year and to celebrate all the new friends we’ve made.

This way the afternoon can be spend doing what we all love best… no not that! Spending time at the beach!

Tell us about yourself and the people who put on Maui Pride.

When my husband Ben and I moved to Maui, we wanted to get involved with something in the LGBT community. The organization that put on Pride was talking about not doing a Pride any more, and we were like, “Wait, we’ll figure something out!” A couple months later we had a Board of Directors and a newly formed Maui Pride organization. We’re all friends and we have a strong passion for making the organization successful. What makes us so strong is that each of us has a different background that can contribute to the organization.

You’ve got a scholarship for LGBT youth.

How successful have your efforts been?

We are so thrilled about the success of our scholarship program. We dedicate one signature event to raising money for college education. The event which just took place on May 9th is called the Lava Soiree, which this year featured Poison Waters from EXPR ESS ION808.COM - j u n e 2015 | 27

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Portland Oregon (an amazing drag hostess) and Maui’s own lesbian band - The Deborah Vial Band. Our first year we raised $2,500 and awarded it at our first Pride, our second year we doubled it and raised $5,000. Last year we were astonished and raised $15,000, which shows just how supportive people are about education.

What’s your goal this time around?

This year we set our goal at $20,000, and I’m eager for our treasurer to be able to share the final amount!

There is an application process that begins on June 1st on our website, the application is open for LGBT students and children of LGBT parents. There is a formal process and committee that includes community input on deciding who gets the scholarships.

What local talent do you have this year?

We’re still finalizing our list, but we can tell you that Shea Derrick, Louis & Lewis, and I’m sure the Deborah Vial Band will make an appearance.

Who do people contact if they want more info, or if the want to volunteer?

We love volunteers and we would love to see everyone over here to celebrate Pride. You can get more information at www.MauiPride.org and email info@ mauipride.org if you want to volunteer.

You also have a Pride Prom on June 20. Tell us about this warm-up event three months before the big weekend.

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The Royal Ball Pride Prom will take place on June 20th.

Perhaps you didn’t get to take that one person you really wanted to take to prom. Well, this is your chance to relive that special evening. Special hotel rates available for people who want to really enjoy a memorable experience.

Kristine W and DJ Roland Belmares on Maui Pride Kristine W on her music: I’ve vacationed on Maui three different times and absolutely loved it. But this will be the first time I’ve ever performed there. You’ll hear new songs and my hit songs too. I’m working on a new album, so I’ll have new music for you. I also released a jazz album, Straight Up With a Twist.

On Bob Kinkaid: I feel that Maui is very lucky to have a president with such a great heart. He definitely is bringing good people together for this Pride.

On Roland Belmares: I love Roland! He has done remixes for me - he gives one hundred percent. I’ve done shows with Roland where he has literally raised the dead. He knows how to read an audience.

Roland Belmares on performing in Maui: I’ve never been to Maui! I’m excited to be a part of this Pride, and I’m looking forward to working with everybody.

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EXPR ESS ION808.COM - j u n e 2015 | 29

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