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KEALI‘I REICHEL And The Power Of The Word
OCTOBER 2014 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 3
4 PROFILE
Jeffrey King: A Shot In The Dark
8 FAMILY
PRESIDENT
Jade Le
How Do We Get Pregnant?
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
William Fernandez: (ph) 808-281-4084
16 PROFILE
PRODUCTION
Dean Soma: Buyer’s Remorse (Divorce)
Linda Giang
GRAPHIC DESIGN Kamele Eskaran
18 POLITICS
VIDEO & MULTI-MEDIA Lisa Baxter PJ Delanoza
Dog Whistling By The Butt-Hurt Brigade
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Celia Dominguez, M.D. Mickey Weems
22 COMMUNITY
Pa‘oi Lincoln: Woman To Woman
COPY EDITOR Mickey Weems
LEGAL & RESEARCH
Glenn Honda, Esq.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Kamele Eskaran Lisa Baxter PJ Delanoza
w w w.e X p re ssio n 8 0 8.c o m t o Entire contents copyrighted 2008–2014 eXpression! Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. eXpression! Magazine is published monthly in Hawai‘i and welcomes manuscripts, original works and various forms of expression for publication. eXpression! Magazine reserves publication rights to submitted materials. eXpression! Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials unless otherwise pre-agreed in writing. eXpression! Magazine does not take any financial or libel obligation to the content of its columnists. All materials submitted are consent to be original. All views and opinions are those of the writer and bear no implications on the opinions of eXpression! Magazine. Registered trademarks used within are hereby acknowledged, images and contents released and permitted. No implication regarding sexual orientation or preference is made in connection with any person, contributor, and or advertiser appearing in this publication.
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JEFFREY K IN G
BY: KAINOA PET ERS ON PHOT OS : M ICH AE L OBAND O
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Unless more sustainable opportunities are created locally, Hawai‘i can say aloha to some of its most skillful and talented kama‘a-ina. Hawai‘i’s fashion and entertainment industry has incrementally increased its presence in the past several years, yet not only are people in the local talent pool competing with each other in a niche industry, talent is being hired outside of the state.
PR OFILE
Should we then be shocked that, for some in Hawai‘i, the grass is greener on the other side of the ocean? Jeffrey King is one of many in the islands that had hoped to become a model or actor here at home. When faced with the painful realities of failed attempts, it’s hard to imagine ever coming to light in the most
despairing of moments. Rather than giving up, King instead withdrew from Hawai‘i. THERE’S A PHOTO OF YOU ON FACEBOOK THAT SHOWS AN INCREDIBLE WEIGHT TRANSFORMATION. I lost all that weight to impress a boy I came out to. That relation-
ship didn’t last. After I graduated high school I started to model. I guess, losing that weight for a boy turned into getting a career for myself. HOW WAS YOUR JOURNEY ASPIRING TO PROFESSIONALLY MODEL IN HAWAI‘I?
After high school, I really got into the EDM [Electric Dance Music] scene and from there, I networked with people in the local entertainment industry. Commercially, I wasn’t what Hawai‘i looked for, and I didn’t work as much as I had wished. I never got a spot on Lost, Hawai‘i Five O, and nothing
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big with the Diamond Head Theatre. It was discouraging for those two and a half years. I was pretty broke, but I still enjoyed modeling with many photographers. I decided when I turned 21, I would move to Los Angeles. WHAT SOLIDIFIED YOUR DECISION TO MOVE? I didn’t save enough money the summer I planned to move, so I spent all my money on alcohol and partying. Then one of my roommates left on rent and we were evicted. Instead of paying that last month’s rent, I bought a plane ticket and moved to California. NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN IMMERSED IN THE GOLDEN STATE, WHAT’S IT LIKE? People here are crazy! I’ve been mugged, almost stabbed, fired from jobs for speaking my mind to some big names just because we were in the presence of celebrities. The hardest part is the lack of closeness and emotional support you get from the people you love, like the intimacy of interpersonal relationships in Hawai‘i’s culture. Coming to terms that the Aloha Spirit is not very present, can leave you discouraged. GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF YOUR DAILY LIFE. I eat a healthy breakfast and head out for the gym to start my day. Check emails for job postings, and check in with my agency’s manager to see if they have any updates for me. Look for work until about 7 pm – Now that’s considered a day off for me. On set, the shortest days I’ve worked have been two hours and the longest 19 hours. I work every day of the week, and really never take a scheduled day off because I love money too much. There really isn’t much time for going out, partying, getting drunk. And sometimes even a relationship is hard to manage. WHAT’S THE REALITY FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR LINE OF WORK? 6 |
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I hate talking about some of this stuff because it’s so defeating for a person that’s chasing their dreams. Being a certain height is important and your ethnicity plays a big part in roles. For example, the “guy/girl next door” unfortunately isn’t a popular pick for somebody that’s black or Pacific Islander. As far as acting goes, the largest number of viewers is centrally located in the US. Sadly for us, ethnicities of color just aren’t the majority viewers, according to the industry. Make friends! I’ve gotten jobs just because I was somebody’s friend. IS A PRETTY FACE ENOUGH? As much as I want to say being attractive helps, it sometimes can put you at a crossroad. Actors like Melissa McCarthy, Seth Rogen, Justin Long - they’re not your typical attractive actors/actresses, yet people love them. Sometimes an unnaturally gorgeous person just doesn’t have a place, and you’ll get typecast, like Megan Fox. WHEN AUDITIONING, HAVE YOU RESORTED TO ACTING MORE HETERO? Believe it or not, I stay away from straight roles. In today’s modern industry, the need for a gay guy is actually a lot more present than it was maybe 10 years ago. But there are times when jobs need me to be the lead girl’s sexy boyfriend, so I’ll lay on the masculinity. SINCE MOVING FROM HAWAI‘I, WHAT PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN A PART OF? I’ve done much in the past two years – local and national jobs. Been working in the TV show Modern Family, and just recently a Starbucks TV commercial. Also, I just had lines in a popular sketch show on YouTube and featured on the Kroll Show. WHY DO YOU DO IT? Sometimes that’s the biggest question I ask myself every day. It comes down to just loving to entertain people.
PR OFILE
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FAMI LY
By: Celia Dominguez, M.D.
Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute
Difficulty in conceiving a child affects many couples, and for same-sex couples it may be especially challenging. It is important to work with health care workers that respect the strain and stress that same-sex couples feel as they build their families. Each same-sex couple needs information so that partners can better understand their individual situation. For lesbian couples, the solution can be as easy as purchasing sperm from a reputable sperm bank and then placing the sperm within the vagina, or into the cervix (cervical insemination), or into the uterus (intrauterine insemination). Otherwise it can be as complex as requiring the female couple to undergo advanced reproductive assistance with in vitro fertilization (IVF) by performing the exposure of the egg and the sperm outside the body in a specialized laboratory, then placing the newly formed embryo back into the uterus. One can use one of the female partner’s eggs and unite with donor sperm using in vitro, then place the result in the other female partner’s uterus. Obviously
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this requires coordination from the couple and health care workers with multiple visits, medications, and blood tests. This is something that is done on a daily basis in our in vitro center.
Women produce fewer eggs as they age, but luckily our uterus does not age. A healthy female, even if in her mid to late forties or even early fifties, can get pregnant via IVF.
The younger the female producing the egg, the better for achieving a pregnancy, with age 18 to 27 being the most fertile. Unfortunately, chances for success decrease with aging. Having said this, sperm exposure should be addressed first, prior to placing much concern about age.
Again, all that may be needed is exposure to sperm. Insemination alone is successful for many lesbian couples. A female who is irregular with her periods may need fertility medications. This requires close supervision from a fertility doctor. In general, infertility medications or IVF should be reserved for women who have failed simpler insemination procedures or are irregular in their cycles. They may not be making eggs, or the fallopian tubes (the bridge where the egg and sperm meet) are blocked, which can occur when there has been gonorrhea or chlamydia, or when a female has had pelvic or abdominal surgery. Also a woman may have a condition called endometriosis, which is characterized by painful periods and damage to both ovaries and fallopian tubes. Women produce fewer eggs as they age, but luckily our uterus does not age. A healthy female, even if in her mid to late forties or even early fifties, can get pregnant via IVF with donor egg. In male couples, the process requires both donor egg and a surrogate uterus. Donor eggs are usually obtained from donor agencies or egg banks, then placed together with one of the
Dr. Celia Dominguez is recognized as an expert in the field of reproductive medicine, in vitro fertilization and laparoendoscopic surgery. She obtained her Medical Degree from George Washington University, completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California in San Diego. Dr. Dominguez is a physician at Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute.
male’s sperm. Once this is completed, a surrogate carrier (usually from a surrogate agency) has her uterus prepared for the embryo. It is important to work closely with an infertility team to orchestrate the donor eggs and the surrogate uterus. On a final note, men also have a biological clock with decrease in sperm counts and sperm function in their mid-fifties.
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COVER S TORY
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COVER STORY
BY: MICKEY WEEMS PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEALI’I REICHEL: P H O TO G R A P H E R S : K AU I L A , K E A L I ‘ I K A N A K A‘O L E A N D U ‘ I L A N I F R I E D M A N
Drop a pebble into a calm sea, and ripples spread far beyond the point of contact. But regardless of how far the ripples travel, they all begin where pebble meets ocean. Keali‘i Reichel creates ripples that spread across the Pacific from his home base on Maui to his hula halau (schools) in Japan, Mexico, and the continental USA. His music reverberates around the world. But the source is Maui, where he was born and raised; where he helped found Punana O Leo Maui, the island’s first Hawaiian language immersion school; and where he started his Halau Ke‘alaokamaile, a center for perpetuating Hawaiian culture as only a halau can be. Everything is centered in Maui, including his permanent home and his husband, Fred “Puna” Kawaipunahele Krauss. Only recently has Reichel created another ripple (or earthquake, in this case) when he revealed personal details about his love life for the world to see. His song “Kawaipunahele” has been a favorite in the Hawaiian community for twenty years. Most of his (straight) fan
base had no idea that this popular love song, used in weddings and receptions in churches and on beaches across the islands, was written by a man longing for his man. Reichel spoke at length with eXpression! about heartbreak, forgiveness, loyalty, and why one should never make an old-school mahu mad.
A HI‘IAKA MOMENT: CHANTING LOVE BACK TO LIFE
Fred and I had been together for six to seven years. I was getting the seven-year itch. “You know, I love you, but I’m not in love with you,” I told him. He moved out the next day. My family was really buss up.
For a while, I was happy, but then I changed my mind. He said, “No way. You need to figure this out on your own.” It was a week, two weeks after. We were having 24-hour vigils, Hawaiian rituals at cardinal points on the Big Island. I was at the farthest
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PHOTO: U‘ILANI FRIEDMAN
CO VER ST ORY
northern point of the island in Almost one year Puna [Fred] and Kohala, home of my ancestors. I I were apart. But the break-up had to happen. It just wasn’t couldn’t focus - I wanted to fling myself off the cliff into the ocean. working. Sometimes love no ‘nuff. I have an overpowering But this phrasing came into my personality and he is a nurturer. mind. It started like an itch. Tune During the break-up, he became and lyrics popped into my head. much more independent. He I call it being doinked by the learned how to fight toe-to-toe ancestors. with me. The day the album hit the streets, we moved back in I couldn’t wait, so I wrote together. “Kawaipunahele” on a Burger King napkin. I can only credit my Every song I write except kupuna [ancestors]. They didn’t for one or two are all for him. want me to jump. I wrote the He is my muse, my catasong, I felt better. lyst. So people who dance to “Kawaipunahele” are all dancing There is power in the word. We to a song about mahu luv. have a saying: “In the word there is life, in the word there And spell it l-u-v. is death” [I ka ‘olelo no ke ola, i ka ‘olelo no ka make]. Hula is the physical manifestation of the NOT COMING OUT word, but the word comes first. I’ve done hundreds of interviews. Nobody ever asked that quesI sang the song to Fred, and tion [if he were gay]. Perhaps we cried - cried - cried. But he they didn’t care or didn’t know wasn’t ready to come back, so I - perhaps they were respectful wrote more songs. All the songs enough not to ask. on this first album are about him coming back to me - kinda For me, I’m an extrovert on whinny, kinda drama queen. But stage and an introvert off stage. if you believe in the power of the I’m a very private person, and word... I wanted to keep details of my personal life private. I have very Friends dared me to make an few close friends - I can count album. We had cookie sales them on one hand. Part of my and taro bread sales to raise the silence was keeping my private life separate, but it was also money, but it was not enough. because I’m of a generation Fred’s mom put up the rest.
F R E D “ P U N A” K AWA I P U N A H E L E K R AU S S AND KEALI‘I REICHEL
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COVER STORY
that didn’t talk about it. I was not comfortable discussing my sexuality. Hawaiian poetry is genderless, and I wrote my lyrics so that they could apply to anyone. When I talked about my songs on stage, I would say they were “for the loved one” or “for the sweet-heart.” My ambiguity was semi-hiding, semi-cultural. For my family and for my Native Hawaiian identity, there was no need because neither makes sexual orientation a big deal. I come from a family of strong women. My family knew I was mahu but it didn’t matter. We weren’t church-goers, so being gay was never an issue with them. My grandmother had no time for church - she was busy raising nine kids. The one issue for my community was if you were mahu, you were much more acceptable if you were obviously mahu, especially for guys who were not comfortable with the whole gay thing. If you were masculine mahu, they couldn’t see you coming. In my case, I don’t know. Some said they never knew. Some said, “He’s a screamer!” Some people did think it was a big deal. I was in two produc-
“EVERY SONG I WRITE EXCEPT FOR ONE OR T WO ARE ALL FOR HIM. H E I S M Y M U S E , M Y C ATA LY S T. S O P E O P L E W H O D A N C E T O K AWA I P U N A H E L E A R E A L L D A N C I N G T O A S O N G A B O U T M A H U L U V .”
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CO VER ST ORY
tions of Jesus Christ, Superstar. The first one, I was Judas. The second one, I was Jesus. One church threatened to picket the second production because they thought it was wrong for a mahu to play Jesus. I wasn’t even out! Same thing happened when the album Kawaipunahele was released. A preacher told his congregation not to buy it, same reason. Didn’t matter if I came out or not! Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
COMING OUT
I have three gay sons. During the special session for marriage equality, they texted me from the statehouse, saying that they felt unsafe. My mommy instinct kicked in and I was ready to fly to Honolulu and hit somebody! I’m old school mahu. My sons knew that. They said, “Stay home.” I am not somebody who joins public demonstrations - never wanted to. Like I said, I’m a private person. But the next day, I carried a sign [supporting SB1] in Kahului. I felt the need for no
as we are. Had we been legally married, it wouldn’t have been an issue. This was one more thing that led me to support marriage equality.
CATCHING UP WITH THE TIMES
I really don’t like to go out much. Sometimes I feel out of touch.
other reason than I was irritated. Soon after, I got an email from Jade Snow [of Mana Magazine] and she asked if I was interested in being in their “Mahu” article. That’s when I officially came out.
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH
had no power legally. We started the process of creating flip-flopping wills and flip-flopping trusts to make sure whichever of us survived, he would control our combined wealth. On top of that, we had to make living wills and give each other power of attorney. We spent thousands of dollars in legal fees.
But I had to evolve to get to that point. In 2002, Fred got sick. He needed a liver transplant, and I came to the realization that I
Wherever we travelled, I carried a set of original documents because of the uncertainty of laws in different states. The documents could not be copies. They helped immensely when Fred went to the hospitals. We could do this because we are well-off financially, but it’s not fair to people who are not as fortunate
We’ve been together for so long, marriage was no big deal - kinda like, “You wanna get married?” “Well, do you?” “Sure, why not.” When SB1 passed, we got married soon after.
So much is good. This new generation - got ones who are fluent in Hawaiian, and more on the way. They don’t bat an eye when somebody says they’re gay. It takes some getting used to. I was asked to sing at a wedding of two men on Maui, so I did. The crowd was bikers, blalahs [Hawaiian local guys], all kinds of people. I was shocked! When they had the traditional wedding dance and people pinned money on the couple, these big local guys running up and pinning dollars on the grooms and giggling, “Hee-heehee!” I feel like things are changing so fast. I gotta keep up.
REICHEL IS PREPARING HIS FINAL ALBUM, KAWAIOKALENA - WWW.KEALIIREICHEL.COM
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Ending a marriage does not necessarily mean canceling any future relationship. Former wives (and former husbands) often help each other out in raising the kids, including children who arrive after the split, and exspouses become trusted confidantes when new lovers come along. For every horror story about a messy break-up, there are multiple tales of ex’s who become part of an extended mutual support group. But such tales have difficulty coming true if either partner, or the lawyers they hire, approach the divorce as if it were DEFCON 5. Family law attorney Dean Soma does not fit the stereotype of the hard-core lawyer out for blood. He believes that an amicable divorce is not only possible, it is preferable. Soma agreed to talk with eXpression! about helping people get through the crisis without going Jerry Springer. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRM. I work for Coates and Frey. We were, I believe, the first family law firm to specialize in the area of civil unions when it was legalized in 2011. Same-sex marriage came very soon thereafter,
and with many of the rights of marriage came the right to divorce. What drew me to this firm was their civil approach to such an emotional issue in people’s lives. The founder Brad Coates
the emotional part of the divorce. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET THEM IN A BETTER PLACE? I try to get them to step back, look past the current unhappiness, and focus on their future. Some of the cases are a little
“What have been scary lately are cases of predatory gay men who are duping rich guys into marrying them.” has come up with an approach to divorce called Divorce with Decency. If the parties can find a way to come to an agreement that is fair and equitable, they can walk away on a positive note. WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT DIVORCE? Because they are right in the middle of it, a lot of my clients cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead they see
harder as, like some straight couples, one of them has been the breadwinner in the relationship. A lot of the couples with children come from blended families. Often the children are from prior relationships, adopted by one partner, or through surrogacy or in vitro fertilization. Because one spouse may not have a clear legal right to the child or children, maintaining a relationship with them may
be complicated, especially as Hawai‘i does not have any laws regarding in vitro fertilization or surrogacy, and the other biological parent may have to be dealt with in the courts. These are the cases where divorce with decency is an especially valuable philosophy. WHAT’S WRONG WITH MAKING YOUR SPOUSE PAY FOR THE ANGUISH YOU’VE SUFFERED? WHY NOT GO NUCLEAR? First of all, Hawai‘i is a “nofault” divorce state, meaning that the court will not assign blame to either party. Even if your spouse cheated on you, the court will not make them pay or give you more. Besides, you do not want to be known as the couple that declared World War III over the antique furniture, cars or tools. Don’t even get me started on pets, who are like babies to a lot of the couples, but the court will never see it that way. Hawai‘i is a small place, and the LGBT community is even smaller. Making divorce truly antagonistic also makes your friends have to choose be-
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tween the two of you. A lot of these issues could be handled through a prenuptial agreement, not so much the friends, but everything else, including what role the other spouse plays in the children’s lives. IN THE STRAIGHT COMMUNITY, THERE ARE STEREOTYPES ABOUT WOMEN HAVING A ROUGHER TIME WITH DIVORCE THAN MEN, AND OLDER MEN HITCHING UP WITH GOLD-
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DIGGING YOUNGER WOMEN. ARE THERE EQUIVALENT SITUATIONS IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY? Not to enforce the stereotypes, but generally the guys seem to have a cleaner break after the divorce, assuming there are no children. But men sometimes have issues rarely seen with women. What have been scary lately are cases of predatory gay men who are duping rich guys into marrying them. There was one that convinced his partner
to marry him so that he could be put on his medical insurance, as he was very sick. He then cleaned out the bank accounts, ran up debt and disappeared. Another, threatening to expose his partner, blackmailed the partner into buying him expensive cars and other stuff. They start off as loving partners but, as the saying goes, “Let the buyer beware.” HAVE YOU EVER HELPED A
COUPLE STAY TOGETHER? Yes. In fact, I often encourage the parties to seek counseling if they want to try reconciliation. That’s why I’d rather be known as a family law attorney rather than a divorce attorney. Nobody wants to see a marriage fall apart. However, unless both sides are willing to put work into it and not try to “fix” the other partner, even counseling may not work. By learning how they got to the point of divorce, the couple can save their marriage.
POL ITICS
by MICKEY W EEMS
b y t h e BUTT-HURT BRIGADE During the special session to legalize same-sex marriage last year, haters made a promise to legislators: If you vote for marriage equality, we will vote you out of office. Defenders of traditional Christian marriage carried signs that said, “Vote No [against marriage equality] And We Will Let You Keep Your Job” and “Hawai‘i Will Not Forget.”
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P O L IT IC S
But wiser heads in the Republican Party decided it would be better if Hawai‘i did forget SB1, the bill that legalized same-sex marriage. The new strategy: Don’t even bring up the gay community or marriage equality to the general public. SEND IN THE CLO W NS... The fury of God’s People during the special session did not translate well in terms of public image. Too many opponents of marriage equality acted like fanatics, bullies, and con artists. This included Hawai‘i state legislators, Democratic
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and Republican: Representative Sharon Har (D), an enfant terrible who pitched a fit against SB1 on the House floor, came off as unhinged rather than righteous, as if same-sex marriage had driven her insane. Representative Gene Ward (R) out-crazied Har by comparing marriage equality to the 9/11 attacks. Representative Bob McDermott (R) continued to rail against the dangers of marriage equality and butt-sex after SB1 was signed into law. Today, McDermott is remembered as that creepy older guy obsessed with anal sex.
With only a few weeks before the election, Har, Ward, and McDermott do not have a whisper of LGBT issues on their websites. No anti-equality tantrums, 9/11 scare tactics, or Weapons of Ass Destruction to be found. This does not mean that the thirst for vendetta has magically disappeared. There is a quiet movement in churches across the islands to keep the promise of pay-back. The website www. HawaiiRemembers.com openly says so. “This page is created for the purpose of holding our
elected officials accountable at election time for how they voted on the issue of same-sex marriage,” it boldly declares. This website is only the tip of the iceberg. …DON’T BOTHER, THEY’RE HERE Some Republican challengers appear to be vengeance candidates against Democrats who voted Yes. But fanaticism does not play well at the polls in a state with a substantial Buddhist population, and where lots of sane Christians hold progressive
be one step closer to becoming a Chapel for Christ. But they can only win if their non-homophobic constituents see them as moderates. THE DOG W HISTLERS Max “Serving YOU... To Da Max!” Fowler is a community life pastor at Good Shepherd Church on Liliha Street and associate pastor at Kaka‘ako Christian Fellowship. His website has three dog whistles: Fowler has “Local Roots, Local Values,” he wants to “Preserve Traditional Values,” and if elected, he will “Restore the People’s Trust and Confidence in Our Government.” (votemaxfowler.com)
values. Vengeance candidates must express their butt-hurt in dog whistles: innocent-sounding slogans that contain messages catering to anti-gay voters. One Mormon and three real Christians are leading the charge to transform Hawai‘i into a theocratic state: Max Fowler (District 27), Carole Kaapu (District 28), Jochanan Amsterdam (District 24), and Wayne Hikida (the Mormon, God help him, District 51 - the other three are praying for you, Wayne). If they win, the Hawai‘i House of Representatives will
Our Translation: Fowler is a Christian minister who believes that unrepentant homosexuals doing homosexual things are going to Hell. True locals are not gay, neither do they support LGBT rights, because they want to preserve homophobia as a local value. If elected, Fowler will do everything possible to hinder LGBT rights. Dog-whistle translations in this article are interpretations offered by eXpression!, and our interpretations can be wrong. If Fowler believes eXpression! has unfairly caricaturized him, we ask him to set us straight, so to speak. We are happy to issue an apology - after he assures us before God and everybody that he does not condemn gays (defined as people who feel, practice, and celebrate same-sex love, including same-sex marriage), that
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P O L IT IC S
local values include LGBT rights, and that he will serve gays “To Da Max” by a) opposing bullying, b) defending trans rights, and c) marching in the next pride parade wearing a rainbow sash. Carole “Carole Cares!” Kaapu has served New Hope Christian Fellowship-O’ahu as managing editor, director of multimedia, broadcast engineer, and writer. “My hope,” she says, “is to serve you, my neighbors and friends, by bringing integrity and family values back into our government.” (carolekaapu.org) Our Translation: Kaapu has experience as a New Hope minister of propaganda who apparently does not have gay neighbors and friends worth serving. Once again, eXpression! will joyfully retract our criticism
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if Kaapu publicly announces that “integrity” includes support for LGBT rights, and that “family values” include support for LGBT families. Kaapu defines marriage as “a union between one man and one woman” on her website. No dog whistle there! Maybe she just could not help herself - it’s not easy pretending to be a moderate. Wayne “Hikida In The House” Hikida lists “Ecclesiastical responsibilities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” as part of his community service. “We must seek ways to support and sustain the family unit. The strength of our State and our Nation is directly correlated with the strength of our families.” (waynehikida.com)
Our Translation: LGBT rights are a threat to national security. If Hikida feels he has been wrongly maligned, eXpression! will cheerfully apologize if he declares that strong LGBT families contribute to a strong nation, blah blah blah. Charles Kaui Jochanan Amsterdam is the most mysterious of the Butt-Hurt Gang of Four, and most forthright about his fanaticism. As of late September, he had no campaign website, not even a functioning Facebook page. When asked by the Star Advertiser why he was running, he said, “Because the incumbent disregarded and broke her promise to support the voters’ will by her supporting the Same-Sex Marriage Act, they want her replaced. I’m
her replacement.â€? (election. staradvertiser.com) Amsterdam is obviously confused. Instead of pimping out his Christian credentials and dog whistling, all the while shutting his trap about SB1, he did just the opposite. Maybe he felt he had to be bold, considering he is named after a pot-smoking, hooker-ďŹ lled pleasure-pit of a European capital. PANTIES IN A WAD? For those who accuse eXpression! of being too harsh, keep in mind that, unlike vengeance candidates, we are addressing the issue of SB1 and LGBT rights in broad daylight for all to see. We suggest the good people mentioned in this article (besides Amsterdam) do the same.
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C OMMU NIT Y
BY: MICKEY WEEMS
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DE-COLONIZING THE CHINATOWN MAHU BACK WHEN HAWAI‘I WAS AN INDEPENDENT KINGDOM, THERE WAS KOU. // OCTOBER 2014 | 25
C OMMU NIT Y
“WHEN IT COMES TO ORIENTATION AND GENDER, THE WESTERN WORLD SEES IDENTITIES AS BATTLE SITES.”
Originally a fishing village, Kou became a mercantile area by Honolulu Harbor. The district was noted for its loku sites, places of entertainment and games that included kilu, a Hawaiian game of flirtation and romance. By the late 1800s, Chinese fieldhands settled in the district as merchants and restaurant owners. Kou got a new name: Chinatown. After World War II, the area was notorious as a hangout for sex workers and the men who sought them. Tiny sparks of pre-Chinatown Kou remained amidst the change. The district was still renowned for entertainment and romance, even if romance involved services rendered for cash. Male sex workers who dressed as women were (and are) known as mahu, a traditional Hawaiian word for an effeminate male. In ancient Kou, mahu were an accepted part of society. Today, Chinatown’s mahu are considered denizens of Honolulu’s criminal underworld. Loku House, a festive event held every third Sunday at 1120 Smith Street in Chinatown and open to the public, aims to renourish the district’s Hawaiian
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roots. Traditional mahu identity is just as integral to Kou’s renaissance as the Hawaiian music, hula, and art featured each month, which is why the theme for October Loku House is “Celebrating Mahu Culture.” PO‘AI LINCOLN AND SACRED SEXUAL SHARING “There’s nothing better than sex...” she said. Po‘ai Lincoln is so many things: a student of music attending the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, a DJ at the UH campus radio station KTUH, and a phenomenal singer. She also helps make Loku House a reality. “...and there is nothing more sacred than human sexuality,” she added. “That sacredness does not include categorizing sexuality the way people do it in the West, as in ‘Are you gay?’ or ‘Are you straight?’ Sex is holy because it reflects our innate capacity for sharing.” Traditional Hawaiian culture celebrates gender difference and the joys of sex rather than divide gender and sexual orientations into conflicting identities. “At no point did we define our sexuality for the need to defend ourselves.
When it comes to orientation and gender, the Western world sees identities as battle sites.” What she said rings true. The battle of the sexes, being gay is/is not a choice, defense of marriage versus marriage equality, tranny versus transperson - none of these arenas of conflict make sense from a traditional Kanaka Maoli perspective. Lincoln lamented the shift away from celebration to conflict: “Our culture was much more fluid. Now we are not so fluid.” Reclaiming that fluidity is one thing Lincoln wants with Loku House. Each month features a theme to be addressed by an expert from the Hawaiian community. In addition to the presentation, artists do their thing. Singers sing. People occasionally hula. And there is beer. MAHU FIXATION Lincoln occasionally gets frustrated with the way people fixate on mahu as if it were a freak show. “The goal of October’s Loku House should be something in which sexuality is not the sole identifying marker. I’d love to have an event that celebrates mahu culture without
it being, ‘Oh my God - that girl is having an event that celebrates mahu culture!’” October Loku House will not be solely about all things mahu. “I would like to create an event that celebrates Hawaiian culture as a whole, each facet unique yet integral to who we are as a people.” Mahu culture in the days of Kou was part of the daily fabric of Hawaiian life - it was not a big deal. Reports of mahu, along with stories of high-ranking male chiefs accompanied by their aikane (male lovers), created a stir only among scandalized foreigners. Mahu, aikane, and the pleasures of making love were as much part of the landscape as the vast lo‘i fields that grew taro, or the long lines of ocean waves upon which men and women, unabashedly naked, rode. MAHU FEMININITY, MAHU MASCULINITY “Mahu is gender-free,” Lincoln said, emphasizing the ways in which Hawaiian fluidity is reflected in the Hawaiian trans community and myriad expressions of mahuwahine (male femininity) and mahukane (female masculinity). Lincoln did not arrive at her appreciation of mahu without some internal readjustment concerning her own identity as a woman. Two events stand out in her memory. The first occurred during a workshop with an Australian Aborigine
troupe. Before they danced, the men and women separated to adorn their bodies. The fired-up young feminist, Lincoln asked a woman of seniority the reason for the division of genders. “Why in the world,” the elder responded, “would you want to do what the men are doing?” Being a woman is sufficient unto itself. The second event taught her that being a woman is not limited to those who are born physiologically female, the same with being a man. Lincoln recalled her first big drag pageant. “I was dunked into the world of mahu!” she recalled. Watching men transform into women fascinated her. But she was confused as to how she should address those same individuals when they were in drag: as men or as women? Her good friend, the young gay man who had brought her into that world, set her not-so-straight: “Honey, if he dresses like a girl, then he probably wants to be addressed as ‘she’.” From these experiences and her own immersion in Hawaiian culture, the need to be a pono Hawaiian wahine and not an angry Western feminist changed her perspective on identity, including mahu identity. She starts with herself: “I define myself as a woman - that’s it,” Lincoln declared, without setting that definition in opposition to anything else. “And anyone who defines themselves as a woman is my sister.”
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