ʻWe need to support these kids in helping them love themselves’

At least 75 educators from five islands joined more than 75 students from five Oʻahu public schools Saturday as part of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s unit in the annual Honolulu Pride Parade to celebrate diversity.

More than 3,000 people participated in the parade, which featured more than 140 groups, with floats, bands, trolleys, and marchers from businesses, nonprofit organizations, social groups, government agencies and more.

Teachers’ message to students: ‘Be proud of who you are’

Lola Ito, a teacher at Mililani Waena Elementary and a member of HSTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee, said it was important to participate in the parade because “We’re showing that we support anybody and everybody. So when we’re out here, if our students see us, they know that we will be supporting them in whatever situation they’re in also.”

Second grade special education teacher at Konawaena Elementary, Hannah Hokenson said, “It’s hard to be a kid and it’s hard to grow up, and having anything that makes you different makes it even harder. And so we need to be the sidekicks, the allies.”

“We need to support these kids in helping them love themselves and appreciate who they are and celebrate their differences and individuality,” said Hokenson, who is an HCR committee member representing Kona Chapter.

Steven Caruso, a mentor teacher and coordinator who works with early educators in the Castle-Kahuku Complex, said that being at the parade was setting an example for students.

His message to students: “Be proud of who you are and know that the teachers are going to support you.”

Jaystin Garcia, a middle school math teacher at ʻEwa Makai Middle and the advisor for his school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club, marched in Saturday’s parade and brought students to the event.

“Back in the day, when I was a student, I always wanted to know, ‘Who am I in Hawaiʻi?’ Early on, I wish I had that kind of experience. Now, I’m able to give that to my students,” he said.

Students from 5 Oʻahu schools march with HSTA

ʻIlima Intermediate STEM teacher Sarah “Mili” Milianta-Laffin helped organize a large group of students from her school’s GSA club to attend Saturday’s parade.

“By bringing teachers and students together for Honolulu Pride, we’re showing students that we support LGBTQ+ students being their whole selves in our classrooms. It’s also a powerful message that pride is about queer joy and community support. Even students who might not be in homes or spaces where it’s safe to be out can see that ‘it gets better’ in the future,” she said.

Her school won the It Gets Better grant, a grant that provides each state $10,000 to support LGBTQ+ projects, for the state of Hawaiʻi. The grant allowed them to bring the entire Campbell-Kapolei GSA network, including clubs from ʻIlima Intermediate, ʻEwa Makai Middle, DreamHouse public charter school, and Campbell High.

Milianta-Laffin’s school used the money to organize students from five different Oʻahu schools to attend pride, paying for a bus from Leeward Oʻahu, a trolley for the parade, meals, water, and swag.

The GSAs have partnered with EWAlution96706 (E9), a coalition that works to keep Ewa Beach a safe, healthy, and drug-free community for its youth and families, for many years. E9 helped plan and carry out the event this year, including booking the trolley and having staff ready to serve bentos to members and students at the end of the parade.

ʻIlima Intermediate 7th grade student and member of the school’s GSA club, Amarie Panon, said seeing how many teachers and students attended the parade “makes me feel proud to be a part of this celebration.”

Protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community

Members of the LGBTQ+ community face increasing threats to their civil liberties, and local political leaders have been emphatic in supporting and protecting their rights.

This year, Hawaiʻi voters have an opportunity to strengthen our state’s long legacy of protecting equal rights. Question #1 on the November general election ballot asks the public to repeal discriminatory sections of our state constitution, which currently allows the Legislature to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples.

“While we know the great majority of people in the islands support marriage equality, we need every voter to vote yes on this proposal because blank votes are counted the same as ‘no’ votes in the constitutional amendment proposals,” HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. said.

Teachers at Saturday’s parade were acutely aware of the way in which the LGBTQ+ community stands at risk of losing some of their civil rights.

Caruso, the mentor teacher, said, “I feel like in the last eight years, politics has become so toxic and people are either checking out or not participating because it’s so toxic. But when you do events like this, it’s all about the joy and happiness, and we can’t let toxic people take away the joy of being proud of who you are and learning to accept everyone for who they are.”

In light of election season, Milianta-Laffin stressed the importance of showing up.

“I hear a lot of teacher anxiety about election season, so people are wanting to show up for our kids.

“It’s about standing up for our kids, it’s standing up for our communities. It’s also trying to hold our legislators accountable to realize that we are a force, and we’re here for our kids and we expect them to be too,” she said.

More about the Honolulu Pride Parade

The Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation produces Honolulu Pride, hosts the LGBTQ+ Center Honolulu and creates educational programs that inform and empower Hawaiʻi’s LGBTQ+ community. The organization also provides financial and in-kind support to organizations addressing social, health and economic inequalities in LGBTQ+ communities.