In a heartwarming event, the City and County of Honolulu marked the beginning of Honolulu Pride Month by raising the pride flag and dedicating a very special tree.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — In a heartwarming event, the City and County of Honolulu marked the beginning of Honolulu Pride Month by raising the pride flag and dedicating a very special tree.
The 2024 celebration was particularly meaningful, as it was the fourth time the city hosted such an event; and the crowd continues to grow each year.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi expressed his gratitude for the community’s support during the ceremony.
“Today is our fourth time that we’ve done this. The crowd is getting bigger. Each year it becomes more significant for us,” he said. Mayor Blangiardi emphasized how special it was for everyone to come together and celebrate.
The highlight of the day was the dedication of the Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower Tree. This beautiful tree has been the official tree of Honolulu since 1963 and is a symbol of pride for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
DeSoto Brown, the Executive Director of Bishop Museum, spoke about the tree’s history and its namesakes.
“We are standing in front of the Frank Fossey building, and since 1965, the Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower Tree has been the tree of the city of Honolulu,” he said.
Brown shared a humorous story about Frank Fossey, a former city council member, who had initially opposed the idea of designating the tree because he thought it made a mess with its fallen petals.
Brown continued, “Today, we are dedicating this tree. I want to talk about the two women whose names are used for this tree because both of them were part of the gay and lesbian community.”
He described Wilhelmina Tenney and Marie Neal, both influential figures in Hawaiian history. Wilhelmina was known for her wealthy upbringing and her loving relationship with a woman named Rene Halbert. Marie Neal, a botanist at Bishop Museum, dedicated her life to studying Hawaiian plants and authored several important books on the subject.
Brown expressed the importance of recognizing these women, stating, “It is very appropriate that not only does the Wilhelmina Tenney shower tree qualify as the tree of the City of Honolulu, but it is also now the official pride tree.”
He hoped that this tree would remind everyone of the beautiful stories within the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Dean Hamer, award winning scientist, author and filmmaker and director of the Lei Pu ʻAla Queer Histories project, also spoke at the event.
“I’m very honored and delighted to present this new tree plaque to the city and county of Honolulu,” Hamer said.
He explained that his project aims to uncover and celebrate the diverse histories of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Hawaii.
“When DeSoto told us this story about the rainbow shower tree and its connection to two lesbian personalities, we thought, this is such a wonderful story to share,” Hamer shared.
Hamer noted that rainbow shower trees could be seen throughout the islands, symbolizing the presence and contributions of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
He added, “Our hope is that now when people see a rainbow shower tree, they’ll remember that our rainbow communities are everywhere.”
Joshlyn Sand, director for the Botanical Gardens for the city and county of Honolulu, also participated in the celebration. She praised the collaboration among different organizations and thanked Mayor Blangiardi for his support. “
We are so fortunate in the city and county of Honolulu to have five municipal botanical gardens. This is not common,” Sand stated.
She highlighted the city’s dedication to preserving a diverse collection of over 9,000 plants and invited everyone to attend Pride Day at Foster Botanical Garden on Oct. 5.
Sand noted, “Admission is free, and we invite you to visit our descendant of the Wilhelmina Tenney tree.” She emphasized the importance of the celebration and the tree’s historical significance.
“I strangely brought a book with me today. This is in Gardens of Hawaii by Maurice C. Neal. It ushered me into the world of tropical plants, and I was hooked,” she shared, reflecting on how important the tree and its history were to him personally.
The event concluded, Mayor Blangiardi read his Pride Month Proclamation, then handing it to the Lei Pua ʻAla directors, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson. Following this, the ceremony ended with a traditional Native Hawaiian blessing for the month ahead of celebrations.
Also in attendance was Councilmembers Radiant Cordero and Tyler dos Santos-Tam and the Hawaii State Commission on LGBTQ+ Affairs, Kat O’Dell, Richard Valasquez, Joe Tolbe, Philip Steinbacher, Shanda Brack, Michael Golojuch and Dr. Livingston.
The excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Pride Day celebration was palpable. It’s a time when more stories about struggles and triumph prevail.
Mayor Blangiardi, Brown, Hamer and Sand all echoed the same message: that love and acceptance are vital to the community, as the Wilhelmina Tenney Rainbow Shower Tree stands as a symbol of pride and history in Honolulu.
“The Hawai’i LGBT Legacy Foundation wants to thank all of you for being here in this monumental moment as we enter Pride Month as well as being here for the blessing of the official Pride Tree for Honolulu,” added Randy Soriano, Executive Director.
“This tree dedication means so much for our community as it brings visibility to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to our community. This tree bears the names of two women who lived much of their adult lives and committed lesbian relationships then did that,” explained Jennifer Li, Women’s Initiative chair of the Hawai’i LGBT Legacy Foundation.
She concluded by saying, “they did their best to live their lives authentically, even with the constraints of their times. It is my mission with the Legacy Foundation to bring more women representation and create space for our community.”
As the pride flag flew high and the vibrant tree stood proudly, attendees left feeling inspired and connected to the rich tapestry of stories that make up Honolulu’s 2SLGBTQ+ community.
You can click here to learn more about the tree as well as the Lei Pu ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaii project.
The event was not just a celebration of Pride Month but a reminder of the strength and resilience found in unity and diversity.