“A very specific historical marker for queer people-or for all Kanaka Maoli or for Mahu-is Kapaemahu, the four stones situated on Waikiki Beach. Here, we talked to a number of out and proud Hawaiians about their favorite LGBTQ+ friendly beaches, hotels, restaurants, and stores on the island. While there aren’t as many queer-specific spaces in Hawaii as in, say, West Hollywood, many of the state’s businesses are queer-friendly, and more are popping up every day. Two hundred years later, Indigenous Hawaiian people are shining a light on the island’s LGBTQ+ friendly past, and “the rainbow state” is increasingly becoming a hot spot for LGBTQ+ travel, buoyed by the islands’ two annual pride events.
![popular gay bar chicago popular gay bar chicago](https://fthmb.tqn.com/8pfjlkF3_x_ueBV2XrEHLlpRKKs=/960x0/filters:no_upscale()/Berlin_Chicago-56a3513b5f9b58b7d0d174b0.jpg)
Mahu culture went underground, and Aikane ceased to exist. Mahu were also traditionally the keepers of local history and genealogy, giving them a sacred place in the community.Īll of this changed in 1820 when Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii to impose their strict evangelical views on what they saw as the hell-bound islanders. In Polynesian culture, Mahu embodies the ideal of spiritual duality and is viewed as a special and revered third sex. When Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaii in the late 18th century, he wrote detailed journal entries about the Aikane and the Mahu, or transgender members of the community. The Hawaiian language doesn’t even have gender pronouns like “he” or “she,” and, in the past, same-sex (Aikane) relationships between High Chiefs and talented men were not just common but revered. Ancient islanders understood that people were made up of both male and female qualities and didn’t assign a gender binary to anyone. Hawaiian culture has always had a deep appreciation of the fluidity of gender and sexuality.
![popular gay bar chicago popular gay bar chicago](https://d37219swed47g7.cloudfront.net/media/images/guides/21-hollywood-bars-that-dont-suck/banners/1456460628.23.jpg)
LGBTQ+ locals share their favorite spots off the beaten path.