Faikava - a Tongan gathering in bringing
friends and family together around kava. It's a casual event with kani
kapila so bring your voice, guitar or 'ukulele. It's our signature event!
Movie Nites - once in awhile there are movies that directly address
gay Polynesian issues, but we also like to attend films that carry Pacific
Islander themes.
What is U.T.O.P.I.A. Hawai‘i?
It's the bomb, honey! The United Territories of Polynesian Islanders Alliance (U.TO.P.I.A.) was started in San Francisco in 1998 to support the Polynesian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Their goal was to bring us Pacific Islanders together in a more formal social setting in order to ease the isolation that many of us faced in accepting our sexuality, yet remaining really close to our culture and families.
It wasn't until late 1999 that we began our own chapter here on O'ahu with the help of Life Foundation and the G.L.C.C. for the same purpose. With the help of the Life Foundation, we are trying to address the current trend of rising HIV infections in our Pacific Islander community, as well as supporting those who have already been affected by the disease (there are over 200 of our Asian / Pacific Islander HIV+ brothers and sisters at L.F.)
U.T.O.P.I.A. Hawai‘i also specializes in holding events. Activities that we have put on include:
HIV Workshops - get the latest news and info on staying healthy in the 2000's, including live condom demos from hot local boyz, and Sistah Maddie's counseling techniques 101!
Karaoke Nights - come party with us and sing the night away in a safe & supportive atmosphere.
Other events include lu‘au’s, the Waterpark, karaoke, etc.!
You can also join 'Aha UTOPIA! The 'Aha is the planning committee which meets monthly to set our future events and makes the decisions for the group. But it's more than your typical neighborhood board meeting…grinds like you wouldn't believe! Come check it out!