On The Issues

Equality is engrained in the Native Hawaiian culture. Our LGBTQ+ ancestors were fully embraced as an integral part of our communities and same-sex relationships were not only recognized but were part of the very fabric of Native Hawaiian society. While we have seen great strides toward equality for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, there is still much work to be done. We must address the epidemic of violence against the trans community across the country, end conversion therapy, lift the ban on transgender service members serving in our armed forces, and stop the bullying of LGBTQ+ youth which impacts their physical and mental health and leads to a disproportionate level of suicide and homelessness among them. Kai supports the Equality Act to enshrine protections for the LGBTQ+ community into our federal nondiscrimination laws. He firmly believes that all people are created equal and discrimination of any kind must not be tolerated.