It’s not just saying hello or goodbye. In Hawaiian culture, aloha is an expression of respect and warmth with no expectation of reciprocation.
To live out the aloha spirit is to also be inclusive and compassionate to all types of people, which Hawaiians have been doing for many years.
In Hawaiian culture, there is kāne (man) and wahine (woman), but there is also someone who has both feminine and masculine spirits – a fluid, non-binary identity called māhū. These people were highly respected and posessed spiritual value and were often caretakers or healers in ancient times. To this day, Hawaii has one of the highest percentages of transgender people in the country.
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“I would have to say that Hawaii is very welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community,” said Jordan Lee, an LGBTQ+ business owner of Oahu pet supply store The Public Pet. “With deep cultural ties to our māhū community, supportive legislators/political officials, and a dense multi-ethnic population, Hawaii is an ideal spot for any LGBTQ+ traveler to feel accepted.”
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Hawaii was also ahead of its time when it came to legalizing same-sex marriage. In 1993, the…
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