HONOLULU – In a ceremony held on International Pride Day, Mayor Rick Blangiardi unveiled a plaque memorializing the celebrated Glade Show Club in Chinatown, where members of the LGBTQ+ Māhū community gathered in the 1960s and 70s to celebrate their individuality despite harassment and persecution. Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu blessed the plaque after its installation and unveiling on a column at Maunakea Marketplace’s N. Hotel Street entrance, the former site of the Glade, immediately across from the Kekaulike Mall. The building belongs to the City and County of Honolulu.
“This plaque serves as an enduring reminder of the unimaginable hardships and prejudices local people faced simply for expressing who they were. But it is also a tribute to their perseverance, because we are here today celebrating everything they have overcome through exceptional determination,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “This plaque will also become an educational attraction for visitors and residents, drawing them to a place with profound meaning and presenting lessons learned from the past, for current and future generations.”
The plaque was installed by Maunakea Marketplace chairman Ave Kwok and his team. This location will now serve as the inaugural stop in the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer History Trail, as envisioned by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, an initiative aimed at educating and engaging people about the queer experience through generations via historical markers, immersive digital experiences, performances, and more.
“This plaque marks the first time that members of the LGBTQ+ Māhū community are being publicly acknowledged and honored in a permanent way on the landscape of Hawaiʻi,” said Wilson and Hamer. “For too long our stories have been hidden, our contributions overlooked, our resilience taken for granted. We’re looking forward to continuing our work on the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer History Trail to make sure that our struggles and victories are not forgotten or erased from public memory.”
“Chinatown is a special place. Every street and storefront is filled with a unique history, one of cultural, social, and ethnic diversity,” said Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents the Chinatown area. “The Glade was a seminal part of this story. It served as a haven for artists, luminaries, and those who were considered ‘different.’ It’s part of the reason why Chinatown serves a similar role today.”
Recently, Honolulu earned the distinction as the “Safest City for Women/LGBTQ+/BIPOC Travelers” by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, a testament to the City and County of Honolulu’s concerted efforts to promote inclusivity and to make Honolulu a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike.
