Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, July 6, 2017 9 “I’m married with a child, and my husband is transgender,” she says. “My son is 7, and I wouldn’t bring him to anything inappropriate. That’s really a big thing. And I think as parents, we need to realize that our kids do understand more than we think and it’s important to show them that it’s OK to be around people who are different. We want everyone to come and just have a good time with their family.” Yates-Tese adds that this event continues to see more and more support from the community. “People seem excited about what we’re doing,” she says. “This event shows everybody that we’re here, we’re together. You can dance and have fun, but there are also ways in which people can learn about the different resources in the community.” Yates-Tese says the worldview of the LGBTQ community has come a long way, and in Hawaii, people seem more accepting than in other parts of the country. Says Lupton, “We’ve tried to make our event a reflection of the community we live in. That’s why it’s family oriented. It’s an open event, it’s free and there’s no alcohol. “We have a lot of very accepting straight folk on the island who are interested and willing to participate and be supportive of their own gay/lesbian kids or gay/ lesbian friends. We really wanted to make a point that it’s a communitywide event and the focus is on the LGBTQ community, but also it’s about our supporters.” Lupton says he often encounters LGBTQ people in the community who feel like they’ve been to pride events on the mainland and wonder why they need to go to this one. “But there is still a fight out there to be fought,” he explains. “Before gay marriage, or before we could adopt children or were allowed in the military, that was our mission — a battle cry to fight for our rights. Now people think, we’ve won a lot of rights, but there are people that want to chip away at the equality we’ve been fighting for years. We need to band together and stand against all this stuff that’s still happening to us nationally and internationally.” Lupton says the first Gay Pride Parade took place in Los Angeles in 1970 to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City in 1969. “The earliest ‘prides’ were venues for political statements, public outrageousness and community celebration,” he says. The first pride event on Hawaii Island was celebrated in 2013, and Lupton says it’s a different type of pride event from the ones you see on the mainland, which draw tens of thousands of people. “Hawaii Island Pride is an annual gathering of the beautiful, diverse community we have on our island,” he says. “It’s a time to celebrate together in the context of times that are still challenging for LGBTQ people here and around the world. This year, we gather in the context of gay men being imprisoned in Chechnya, caned in Indonesia and thrown off buildings in parts of the Middle East. “Closer to home, transgender people are being attacked and killed on the streets. We are also enduring a political climate in which many advances in acceptance and civil rights are being challenged and reversed.” While the issues facing the LGBTQ community are still very real, Lupton says the Hilo festival’s focus is to bring members of the LGBTQ community on Hawaii Island together in a fun, casual setting. “We hope that in gathering together we can affirm our fundamental rights and our rightful place in a free society,” he says. “We also hope to experience the creativity, love and power of our unique ohana here on Hawaii Island. It’s just healthy for people of like minds and goodwill to come together in healthy settings. What’s most necessary is to show up and see people that you haven’t seen in a long time, sit down, talk, laugh and connect.” Also happening in observance of pride week is the film “3 Generations” showing Friday through Tuesday at the Palace Theater, and the festival’s after-party from 4-9 p.m. at the Hilo Town Tavern. The free event is put on by the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation. For more information, visit www.hawaiiislandpride. org. PRIDE From page 6 HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald The crowd on the sidewalk and in Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine cheer during the fourth Annual LGBT Pride Parade in downtown Hilo.
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