LGBTQ+ History in the UH System
2020
Employee Gender Language: Intersex is added as an option to the sex/gender option along with the ability to disclose gender identity
Student Application: Gender Identity drop down menu is listed
2018
Policy and Guidelines on Inclusive Facilities established.
2016
Preferred Name Policy established.
2011
Students and Commissioners stop Chick-fil-A from opening in Hawai‘i/on the UH Mānoa campus.
2009
UH Mānoa Football Coach mocks Notre Dame for doing a “little faggot dance”
“Gender identity and expression” is added to the Board of Regents Policy of non-discrimination A9.920
2007-2009
Systemwide LGBTI Gatherings (Two-days meetings for three days)
2007
The Commission hosted two Train-the-Trainer (T3) workshops were conducted for the UH System at UH Mānoa.
2004
Rae Watanabe and Hoku Akiu are elected Commission Co-Chairs
2002
LGBT Student Services is established in the Women’s Center at UH Mānoa; Camaron Miyamoto is hired as coordinator (founding full-time staff).
2001
SEED publishes/distributes “LGBTQ Student Needs assessment Survey at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2000″ n=651 participants from all colleges, including graduate and undergraduate students.
- Nearly 1 in 4 students state that they know someone who has been verbally harassed, threatened or physically assaulted because of their perceived sexual orientation.
- The majority of students (58%) surveyed feel that it is the University’s job to address the students’ educational needs at UH Mānoa.
Site Visit Report by Ronni L. Sanlo, Ed.D (then Director of the LGBT Resource Center at UCLA).
1999
The “H” incident: UH Mānoa Football team changes from “Rainbow Warriors” to “Warriors” due in part to “gay stigma”
- “That logo really put a stigma on our program at times in regards to it’s part of the gay community, their flags and so forth,” athletic director Hugh Yoshida. “Some of the student athletes had some feelings in regards to that.”
- In a statement, university spokesman Jim Manke said: “The university is sorry if anyone was offended. That was not the intent of the remark. It was an example to illustrate potential confusion over the rainbow.”
- Ken Miller, co-chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Honolulu, criticized the university. “It sends a very bad message—not only to the students but the athletes who happen to be gay and struggling with that issue,” Miller said.
Ku‘umeaaloha Gomes becomes Commission Chair.
The UH Commission on the Status of LGBTI Equality is established under the Office of the President.
Robin Nussbaum is hired as a part-time graduate assistant to develop and implement programs and long-term planning for the forming LGBT Resource Center.
1998
Voter state of Hawai‘i constitutional amendment empowers the state legislature to define marriage as being between one woman and one man.
1996
“Safe Zone” is established systemwide under the leadership of Joan Souza and Rae Watanabe. Rae Watanabe is Commission Chair
1994
University of Hawai‘i System-wide Task Force on Sexual Orientation is established with Karl Minke as Chair.
“Sexual Orientation” is a protected class under UH Board of Regents Policy of Nondiscrimination.
The first Commission brochure is produced.
1993
Baehr v. Miike (orig. Baehr v. Lewin). Lambda Legal entered this case seeking marriage equality as an amicus in 1993 before Hawaii’s highest court. The court was the first ever to rule that excluding same-sex couples from marriage was discrimination. Plaintiff Ninia Baehr was the UH Mānoa Women’s Center Director.
1992
Formation of UH Mānoa Task Force of Sexual Orientation under the leadership of Dr. Amefil Agbayani, Director of SEED and Dr. Doris Ching, Vice President of Student Affairs.
