When caustic visitors encounter Hawaiʻi’s people, culture

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu’s Alohilani Resort is known for its serene atmosphere and luxurious setting; but in late June 2024, it became the unexpected scene of a heated confrontation.

Beth Bourne, an employee from the University of California Davis and active chair of the far-right extremist group Moms for Liberty in Yolo County, California, caused a significant disturbance over a group of māhū who were participating in a video shoot at the resort.

This incident, which quickly went viral, sheds light on the challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Hawaiʻi, especially the māhū, a revered part of Native Hawaiian culture.

Bourne’s outburst, captured in a widely circulated video, showed her aggressively confronting the drag performers.

The performers, including Mark Imaizumi, a local māhū and drag performer who is known as Marina del Rey, who was born and raised in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. The performers in her group were dressed as hotel staff and were moving through the lobby to their next filming segment.

Bourne accused the māhū of promoting harmful practices, including a false claim about surgeries on children. Her remarks were not only unfounded but also deeply offensive.

Despite the hostility, Ms. del Rey and the other performers remained composed, demonstrating remarkable dignity in the face of such aggression.

The situation escalated when Bourne loudly declared her concerns about children in her community being influenced by drag culture, making baseless and inflammatory statements.

Her actions disrupted the peaceful environment of the resort; but most guests continued their activities, seemingly unfazed by her outburst.

The hotel staff eventually intervened, and the Honolulu Police Department responded to the disturbance. Bourne was issued a trespass warning and was escorted off the property.

This incident underscores the ongoing struggles that the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and particularly the māhū, continue to face.

Māhū is a traditional Native Hawaiian gender identity that embraces both male and female qualities.

Historically, māhū individuals held respected roles in Native Hawaiian society, serving as healers, teachers and caretakers of cultural traditions.

However, during periods of Western colonization, these individuals faced persecution; and their identities were suppressed in favor of rigid, European binary gender norms.

In recent decades, there has been a resurgence in the acceptance and celebration of māhū culture in Hawaiʻi.

Māhū individuals are now recognized for their valuable contributions to Hawaiʻi’s modern society, particularly in the arts, education and community leadership.

The drag community in Hawaiʻi, which includes many māhū, plays a significant role in this cultural revival, using performance as a platform to celebrate their identities and share their stories.

Ms. del Rey, who has been a prominent figure in both the drag and māhū communities, reflected on the incident at the Alohilani Resort.

While the confrontation was deeply unsettling, she noted that it ultimately served to highlight the strength and resilience of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Hawaiʻi.

“The experience didn’t give us time to process what was happening,” Ms. del Rey explained. “All we knew was that there was absolute hate coming out of her mouth.”

Despite the intensity of the situation, Ms. del Rey and her fellow performers did not retaliate with anger. Instead, they maintained their composure, allowing the strength of their community and the principles of aloha to guide their response.

The concept of aloha, which encompasses respect, love and compassion, is a cornerstone of Hawaiʻi’s culture. It was this spirit of aloha that Ms. del Rey and the other performers embodied during the incident.

“Thank you, mean lady, for giving pause to display the beauty that is our culture and our group,” Ms. del Rey remarked, highlighting the way the community rallied together in the face of adversity.

The incident also caught the attention of Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green, who condemned Bourne’s actions and praised the performers for their dignity and integrity.

Governor Green emphasized that such behavior is entirely incompatible with the values of aloha and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that Hawaiʻi remains a place of respect and inclusivity for all.

In response to the incident, the Alohilani Resort planned a special drag brunch to close out Global Pride Month.

This event was not just a celebration of drag culture but also a powerful statement of solidarity and resilience.

Ms. del Rey expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community, noting that the incident had only strengthened the bonds within Hawaiʻi’s 2SLGBTQ+ community.

The history of the Glades, an iconic nightclub in Honolulu that was a haven for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, including many māhū, serves as a reminder of the strength of a once marginalized community of people.

The Glades was a place where people could express their true selves, free from the judgment and discrimination that they often faced in the Euro-centric outside world.

While the Glades has long since closed, its legacy lives on in the vibrant drag and māhū communities that continue to thrive in Hawaiʻi today.

Over the last few decades, Hawaiʻi has made significant strides in embracing the diversity of its people, including the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Events like the incident at the Alohilani Resort, while painful, serve as important reminders of the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done. The resilience and solidarity of Hawaiʻi’s 2SLGBTQ+ community, particularly the māhū, are testaments to the enduring strength of the islands’ cultural heritage.

As Ms. del Rey and her fellow performers continue to share the joy and artistry of drag with the public, they do so with the knowledge that their work is not just entertainment — it is a celebration of identity, culture and the spirit of aloha that unites the people of Hawaiʻi.

You can watch Ms. del Rey’s full interview in the video above. For more information on how to support or learn more about Hawaiʻi’s diverse community, click here, here or here.

This incident, while a moment of confrontation, ultimately became a powerful affirmation of the values that define Hawaiʻi’s way of life.

KHON2.com has reached out to Ms. Bourne for comment and will update this article once a response has been received.