KA LĀ
A Student Publication of the University of Hawai'i • Honolulu Community College •
November 2017
PRIDE IN PARADISE A decades-long tradition lives on in Hawai'i
Jonz Stoneroad Ka Lā staff writer
Starting off small and held on the sidewalk, Hawai'i’s Gay Pride Parade was first celebrated in the late 80’s, and was met with insults, protests, with bottles and eggs thrown at them. So much for Hawai'i’s “Aloha Spirit.” This small debut parade of marchers was undeterred, with the parade founders carrying on for two years. In 1990 the event was made official, when it became known as the Honolulu Gay Pride Parade. “Pride,” as it’s informally known, has been held every year since then despite continuing protests ranging from a bomb threat in 2003, to several local church groups holding such signs proclaiming “Gay is a Sin" and "Homosexuality is an Abomination.” This yearʻs Pride parade featured various members of the community from activists to entertainers, all celebrating some of the beliefs of the LGBT community. Jack Law, owner of Hula's Bar & Lei Stand, was a grand marshal for this year's parade, while the Royal Hawaiian Band also played. The parade was just one of several major gay pride Continued on Page 4