Table of Contents

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono 

Randy Soriano, Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation  

Peter Tui Silva, Kumukahi Health + Wellness  

Walter Kinoshita, SafeHaus Wellness Services 

Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i  

Camaron Miyamoto, LGBTQ+ Center at UH Mānoa 

In Just a Few Months, Decades of Progress Have Been Wiped Out 

Introduction by Cynthia Wessendorf

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate Hawai‘i’s rich LGBTQ history and the diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, ethnicities and cultures of the Islands – all the intertwined lives that are sometimes fractious, often harmonious and generally tolerant.

But with an openly hostile administration in the White House, this year is markedly different from recent years. For Pride 2025, Hawaii Business Magazine reached out to people active in the local LGBTQ community, or those in positions to advocate effectively, to express what Pride means to them today, in their own words.

The essays capture their joy, sorrow, worry and determination to maintain a vibrant community where everyone is valued. Because the reality is that basic rights are being steadily chipped away by executive orders, many targeting transgender people.

The first 100 days

On Jan. 20, on his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that only two genders, immutable “at conception,” would be recognized by the U.S. government. Passports marked with a gender that’s different from a person’s sex at birth, or the nonbinary X designation, would no longer be issued.

The order also required all programming, grants and other initiatives that “inculcate gender ideology” be reviewed, and employees associated with the programs be placed on administrative leave.

The following day, an executive order revoked protections for transgender employees of the federal government and LGBTQ employees of federal contractors and subcontractors. According to a UCLA School of Law Williams Institute brief, the order affects nearly 14,000 transgender federal employees and over 100,000 LGBTQ employees of federal contractors.

On Feb. 7, the Department of Defense, expanding on another executive memo, banned transgender people from enlisting in the military. Later that month, the department began the process of identifying transgender troops for removal from their positions. At press time, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the ban could be enforced while legal challenges proceed.

Also in February, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dropped seven pending lawsuits involving discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people – all considered by its staff to be clear-cut and winnable – leaving harassed and unfairly fired employees to pursue lawsuits on their own.

Grants for medical research have been severely cut since January. The science journal Nature reported that, as of April 7, the U.S. National Institutes of Health had canceled about 770 grants. Of those, 29% were related to HIV/AIDS and 24% were related to transgender health.

This is the short version of what’s happened so far. Each week brings another restriction, another round of firings, another funding freeze, most of which are being challenged in courts. All the measures spring from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, seen by many as a blueprint for the Trump administration’s second term.

David A. Graham, author of the book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America, writes in The Atlantic that “Trump has already moved to limit transgender rights, but the Project 2025 agenda is much wider, aiming to return the United States to a country of married families with male breadwinners and female caregivers.”

So what’s next? Will Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry, be challenged? Could adoptions by LGBTQ people be banned, as they were in autocratic Russia in 2014? Will the U.S. emulate Hungary, which has passed a raft of anti-LGBTQ laws, including one in March that outlaws Pride events? After all, the former Soviet satellite state is viewed by many on the right as a “natural” ally of the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal article.

In the U.S., Bloomberg reported that organizers of Pride festivals and parades across the country were scrambling for funding. Corporate donors were pulling back, with 2 in 5 planning to reduce their Pride month engagement this year. Even powerful companies fear blowback.

A long, hard fight for rights

This sea change happened quickly. Yet it wasn’t long ago that members of the LGBTQ community were routinely denied housing, jobs and services. And police abuse was common, with law enforcement often specifically targeting LGBTQ people and businesses.

It was a violent raid by New York City police on a Greenwich Village gay bar that sparked the Stonewall uprising of 1969 – six days of angry clashes and protests – that ultimately galvanized the gay rights movement.

Marsha P. Johnson, an early activist for transgender rights, participated in the uprising. Called “Saint Marsha” for her generosity, the transgender icon was arrested more than 100 times, sometimes based on discriminatory laws that criminalized cross-dressing. In 1992, her body was found in the Hudson River. Police ruled her death a suicide, but the case was reopened in 2012 and remains unsolved.

The AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s – and the indifferent national response, including from the medical establishment – triggered a highly visible grassroots movement called ACT UP. Activists helped bring needed attention, resources and research to battle an epidemic that claimed 362,004 lives in the U.S. between 1981 and 1999, according to data from the nonprofit research foundation amfAR.

More recently, and locally, the popular nightclub and drag venue Scarlet Honolulu filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging assault and harassment of transgender customers by the Honolulu Liquor Commission. The suit was joined by Gay Island Guide. On Oct. 8, 2024, they were awarded a $670,000 settlement.

Scarlet Honolulu co-owner Robbie Baldwin told Hawaii News Now at the time of settlement: “[What] I want people to know is to not stop fighting for what’s right. It’s hard, it’s stressful, but if you keep at it, you can really make change.”

One of the most important legal decisions regarding LGBTQ rights happened as late as 2020. In Bostock v. Clayton County, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Yet the impact of this landmark decision is now tenuous, as the Trump administration has instructed the U.S. attorney general to reevaluate how the ruling is applied. According to the Human Rights Campaign website, “If implemented, this directive could allow federal agencies to refuse to acknowledge discrimination against the full LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, education, housing, health care, and more.”

The backlash against transgender, nonbinary and intersex people is fully underway, and the lives of everyone in the LGBTQ community have been rendered less secure, less free from discrimination.

These measures affect millions of people, including my own daughter, 23 and living in Berlin, who can’t safely travel to Hawai‘i, where she was born and raised. With a U.S. passport that lists a name and gender different from the one she had as a child, the document could be destroyed by a petulant border control agent, or she could be accused of traveling under a false identity.

Her German passport also puts her at additional risk of detention, as many international travelers have discovered, including two teenage travelers from Germany who were detained and then expelled when they arrived at the Honolulu airport in April without hotel reservations.

As the age of progress swings into a time of setbacks, the activism of the past seems relevant and vital again. In an interview about her 2021 book Let the Record Show, which documents the raucous ACT UP movement and its impact, writer Sarah Schulman said:

“I think the biggest thing was that we changed how people with AIDS and queer people were seen all over the world and how we felt about ourselves. And that’s been lasting.”

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono

“We All Have a Part to Play in Fighting Back Against Discrimination and Hate”

By U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono

For over 50 years, June has been a time of commemoration for the LGBTQ+ community. During Pride Month, we celebrate the community’s joy, diversity and vibrancy in Hawai‘i and across the country.

Perhaps especially in our current political climate, Pride is also an opportunity for reflection and appreciation of the bravery and resilience of LGBTQ+ communities in the face of adversity. From the first Pride protesters at Stonewall, to the activists who demanded action to address the AIDS epidemic, to the dedicated advocates who work on behalf of the community today, generations of LGBTQ+ Americans have fought tirelessly for equity and their right to live freely and authentically.

Thanks to their advocacy, we’ve made real progress toward equality. HIV, once thought to be a death sentence, can now be treated and managed with just one pill a day. In June, we’ll celebrate one decade since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision made marriage equality the law of the land. From the halls of Congress to corporate boardrooms, and everywhere in between, LGBTQ+ Americans are showing up and leading as their authentic selves in increasing numbers.

In Donald Trump, however, we have a president and an administration hellbent on undoing that progress and intentionally making life harder for queer communities. In just his first 100 days, he signed an executive order solely recognizing two sexes, eliminated LGBTQ+ and HIV content from the websites of federal agencies, and ordered an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives nationwide.

These attacks only serve to highlight the importance of showing up for our LGBTQ+ neighbors, friends and family, especially transgender people and LGBTQ+ people of color who are disproportionately impacted by this perpetuation of inequality, discrimination and hate.

Gay, queer and transgender rights are human rights, and I am proud to have stood beside the LGBTQ+ community as we fought for that recognition. As Hawai‘i’s lieutenant governor, I advocated for equality on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. In Congress, I’ve continued this work, and was proud to help pass the Right to Marriage Act in 2022 to protect the right to marry who you love. I am staunchly committed to continuing my work with advocates in Hawai‘i and across the country to create a more inclusive future for all.

We all have a part to play in fighting back against discrimination and hate. As vulnerable communities face a barrage of attacks from Trump and his Republican bullies, we can all use our voices to fight back. From organizing protests, to raising awareness on social media, to advocating for legislation, now is the time to use our voices to defend the diversity that makes our state and our country so special.

Again, these are not normal times – we can and must fight back. I remain steadfast in my support for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as for every other group being targeted by this administration. We are in this together.

Sen. Mazie Hirono has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013 and is the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate and first female senator from Hawai‘i. Before that, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Hawai‘i lieutenant governor and in the state House. She immigrated to Hawai‘i from Japan when she was 8.

Randy Soriano

Working for a Brighter Future in Troubling Times 

By Randy Soriano, Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation  

Across the country, the LGBTQIA+ community is navigating a troubling and uncertain time. From federal efforts to narrowly define gender to the rollback of employment protections for transgender individuals and the reduction of funding for HIV/AIDS research, hard-won progress is being threatened. These policy changes not only affect services and support but also send a dangerous message that our identities and rights are up for debate.

In Hawai‘i, we are reminded daily that aloha is more than a greeting. It is a value rooted in care and respect, and it defines how we show up for one another. At the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation, we carry this value into every aspect of our work. Since our founding in 2008, we have been committed to building an inclusive Hawai‘i where LGBTQIA+ / MVPFAFF+ people (see notes at left) are safe, seen and supported.

We are fortunate to live in a state where many of our elected leaders advocate for inclusion, but we must remain vigilant. The national climate impacts our local communities, especially our most vulnerable. There is a continued need for mental health support, affirming health care, housing security and education that reflects the full spectrum of identities. These needs are not abstract. They are urgent.

In response, the foundation launched Pride365 in 2024 to provide consistent, year-round programming rooted in community care. Pride365 reflects our belief that Pride is not a moment but a daily commitment to visibility, connection and progress.

Through Pride365, we have expanded outreach through various programs, including:

• Kūpuna Movie Mornings: In collaboration with the Hawai‘i Theatre Center, over 900 LGBTQIA+ elders have gathered to enjoy films and build intergenerational bonds.
• Rainbow Town Halls: Forums for dialogue on pressing issues such as youth mental health, access to gender-affirming care and the role of inclusive education.
• The Rainbow Support Circle: A peer-led monthly group for those navigating complex family dynamics, personal identity and community belonging.
• Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival: Amplifying queer voices through storytelling that reflects both our modern challenges and cultural roots.
• Honolulu Pride: An expanded destination event, with more than 30,000 parade attendees, 85,000 live-stream viewers and 8,500 festival-goers in 2024.

This year, we also launched the Rainbow Legacy Scholarship Fund to support LGBTQIA+ / MVPFAFF+ high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, service and a commitment to Hawai‘i’s future. The first award will be presented at Rainbow Graduation 2025, our annual celebration for queer-identifying college and university graduates from across the state.

These programs are possible because of a strong network of support. Our volunteer board, local advocates, generous donors and community partners all help make our mission real, and their commitment ensures that our foundation continues to grow in impact and reach.

As we look to the future, we know that the work ahead will involve all of us. Whether you donate, attend an event, volunteer or advocate for inclusive policies, your contribution matters. We also encourage everyone to uplift LGBTQIA+ / MVPFAFF+ voices in everyday life, whether at work, in school or around the dinner table.

Visibility matters. Respect matters. Aloha in action matters. Together, with intention and care, we can ensure that Hawai‘i remains a place where LGBTQIA+ / MVPFAFF+ people live with pride and purpose, every day of the year.

Randy Soriano is the executive director of the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation, and has worked in marketing and communications with many Hawai‘i companies and nonprofits. To learn more or get involved, visit hawaiilgbtlegacyfoundation.com.

Peter Tui Silva

“We Are Still Here, and We Are Not Backing Down”

By Peter Tui Silva, Kumukahi Health + Wellness  

A few weeks ago, as I was preparing for our Big Island AIDS Walk, my staff confronted me with something that had become a larger dilemma than I thought.

The problem grew over the past few months. I had been glued to my desktop, anticipating and analyzing every executive order and news report that had come out against our māhū/LGBTQ+ community. In response, letters and testimonies flowed through my fingers into a virtual keyboard abyss that seemed to get darker and demand more and more.

As a 30-year Hawai‘i advocate and leader of an organization that predominantly serves sexual and gender minorities, I felt the weight of those now in power pinning me in from all directions.

To meet these new funding directives, I asked leaders within my community how to change the names of our services and sanitize our outward-facing media from the executive internet bots. I asked my friends what new identifiers would be acceptable to satisfy this new wave of colonialist grantors. And in moments of silence and bouts of paralysis, I asked my kūpuna for guidance on where to draw the line.

Two genders. No inclusion. No diversity in thought or civic participation. No equity for our humanity and honoring our lived experiences. Is this the new world I would have to accept to keep our services alive?

As I walked into my finance director’s office just a few weeks ago, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks, pressing down on my chest. I tried to talk but only tears came down my face. She jumped up to close the door and sat with me. I explained that the first hours of this presidency directly targeted our māhū/LGBTQ+ community. And every hour since, for two months, our community has been trying to “justify” who we are and why we matter, while many in the country rallied around this entitled battle cry.

I described it as having permanent whiplash, trying to field questions from scared clients and staff, trying to make sense of the nonsensical. And in this moment, like many others in positions like mine – Indigenous, kama‘āina or otherwise – I felt like I was letting down all of my community, my friends, my kūpuna.

As we talked, she helped me realize that I had done all I could for this agency with what was known and understood thus far. But for two months, I had been hiding in my office, and I needed to get back into the coalitions and chambers of commerce and public spaces to let them know we are still here, and we are NOT backing down. We are not sanitizing our dignity. We are not going to dishonor all the lives of our people lost to HIV/AIDS by going back into the closet, while critical AIDS research is being cut.

So, when I announced that we were holding our first Big Island AIDS Walk in seven years, to my surprise, we were flooded with sponsors, walkers, clinics, corporations, businesses and individuals who need us to be around for the next 40 years.

I am so proud to be the CEO of Kumukahi Health + Wellness, in an island community that supports us. Our people are proud to be standing up to censorship and erasure in a public event that uplifts and celebrates our diversity of genders, experiences and beliefs.

Now the tears I cry are those of joy and gratefulness, and I wipe away those who stand in our way and try to silence our people.

Peter Tui Silva is CEO of Kumukahi Health + Wellness, which provides HIV and LGBTQ+ health services in its Hilo and Kona offices. Before that, he was an epidemiological specialist with the state Department of Health. For more information, see kumukahihealth.org.

Walter Kinoshita

“Give Yourself Grace” and Find the Support You Need 

By Walter Kinoshita, SafeHaus Wellness Services 

Question of the Year: “How are you doing?”

My answer? It can vary from day to day, but I try to keep it neutral or upbeat: “As good as I can be for now.” Or “I’m doing well, thank you for asking.”

Now is that completely accurate? Well, maybe not, but the reality is that if I say I’m safe and OK, then it shall be that.

Since I am a massage therapist by trade and the director of community engagement for SafeHaus Wellness Services, my feelings and energy have to be calm. If I were to exhibit anything other than that, the negativity could be transferred to whoever I am with.

And many in our community are struggling and need help. They’re hurt, scared, angry and anxious, as they have every right to be. However, I try to stay balanced and be OK in the moment.

How do I cope? By not taking to heart everything I see on social media. By going out with friends and sharing meals. By attending support groups in the community, which thankfully SafeHaus Wellness Services leads on the first Wednesday of every month. If you or anyone you know needs the extra support, please join us. It’s free and nonjudgmental.

The most important thing is to give yourself grace in these moments of hard times. Be nice to yourself. I try to do this every day because at the end of the day, I cannot control anything other than how I feel, and I choose to be OK.

Walter Kinoshita is director of community engagement for SafeHaus Wellness Services in Honolulu, a licensed massage therapist and a member of the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce. For information on coaching and community services, visit safehauswellness.com.

Joe Wilson, left, and Dean Hamer

The Quest for a Permanent AIDS Memorial and Site of Memory  

By Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i 

When we launched a new nonprofit project called Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i in 2023, we were excited about creating new ways to bring Hawai‘i’s long history of gender and sexual diversity to a wide public audience.

From the early kānaka embrace of same-sex love and gender fluidity to the influences and experiences of missionaries, plantation workers and so many others who have come or were brought to these shores over the centuries, we knew that illuminating the little-known struggles and accomplishments of LGBTQ+ Māhū people in the unique context of these islands could inspire those seeking better lives for themselves, and those still working for justice and equality in communities near and far.

We never could have imagined that just two years into such work, a new president and administration intent not just on marginalizing and scapegoating our diverse communities, but on erasing our very existence, would give the project an alarming new sense of urgency and importance.

Now at our weekly performances of “The Return of Kapaemahu” in Waikīkī, we feel obliged to explain that despite President Trump’s executive order claiming that there are only two genders, individuals of dual male and female spirit do, in fact, exist and have long been an important part of Hawaiian culture.

The attempt to erase the accomplishments of the 442nd Japanese American soldiers in World War II, along with the defunding of the National Endowment of the Humanities, including our valued collaborators at the Hawai‘i Council for Humanities, was further evidence that we can no longer trust our own federal government to acknowledge that diversity is an essential element of our nation and people.

Equally concerning has been the campaign of the new administration to destroy the public health programs and agencies responsible for infectious disease control and preventative medicine. The recent display of the Hawai‘i AIDS quilt panels at the Capitol Modern was a poignant reminder of the devastation that HIV/AIDS brought to Hawai‘i, but also of the resourcefulness of our local LGBTQ+ Māhū community and state Department of Health, which responded with one of the most effective awareness and prevention campaigns in the country.

Now, our national health and human services agency is headed by a person who denies even the most basic facts about AIDS – that it is caused by HIV, and that anti-HIV drugs can both prevent and treat the devastating effects of the virus.

As the intent of the new regime to erase every trace of queer history and existence has become clearer, the fragility of our work and progress at the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i project has emerged. Websites can be erased, exhibitions taken down, performances canceled, historical markers removed, funding threatened, and other acts of censorship and intimidation unleashed.

How can we respond? While there are many possible answers to that question, one theme that has emerged from our conversations with a range of LGBTQ+ Māhū community members, students, kūpuna, people living with HIV/AIDS and others is the desire to create a permanent, visible and public reminder of our existence, and the challenges encountered and accomplishments made.

Thus was born the idea of a new AIDS Memorial and Community Memory Site for Hawai‘i – a place where people can gather to mourn those who have been lost or suffered from HIV/AIDS and other forms of oppression and erasure, honor Hawaiian traditions of diversity and inclusion, and celebrate those who have struggled and are continuing to pave the way toward a more just and equitable future for all.

We are fortunate to have two strong collaborators for this community-centered effort. One is the Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, the first and largest AIDS service organization in the Pacific and a leader in public health and fighting stigma and discrimination. The other is the City and County of Honolulu, which has worked closely with us on a variety of projects to illuminate the people, places and events that make our city a shining example of why diversity, equity and inclusion is good for all. The city’s Rainbow Employee Resource Group, UH’s John A. Burns School of Medicine Student Pride Alliance, the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation and other community groups are also involved.

The proposed site for the monument is the overlook at Kaka‘ako Waterfront Park, a magical place with encompassing views, ready public access, a history of association with the infectious disease epidemics that have devastated Hawai‘i over time, and a deep sense of spirituality.

While there are many steps ahead, our goal is to create a place where all our diverse communities can meet, reflect and rejuvenate; a place where our stories are literally written in stone – too large, visible and important to be ignored or erased.

Without Trump, such a memorial might or might not have come to fruition. With him in power, it must. We hope all those who value equality and justice will join us.

Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson are co-founders and co-directors of the nonprofit Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i; co-directors with Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu of the Oscar short-listed animated film “Kapaemahu”; and Emmy-winning documentary filmmakers. For more information, see queerhistoriesofhawaii.org.

Camaron Miyamoto

Advocating for Students and the “Healing Power of Love”

By Camaron Miyamoto, LGBTQ+ Center at UH Mānoa 

Now, more than ever, I am so lucky to be the director of the LGBTQ+ Center at UH Mānoa. I could not imagine a better job for me, as I get to work for the well-being and success of LGBTQ+ students, and I get to fuse that work with a mission grounded in social justice for the good of everyone in Hawai‘i.

The growth of the LGBTQ+ Center during my tenure feels immeasurable, but it’s not. There are clear markers that our programs are reaching more people, and with more impact.

Coffee Hour, a drop-in group for students, is one example. While students used to meet once a week in the LGBTQ+ Center lounge, meetings are now twice a week in a large conference room, with about 40 participants.

I now offer training on LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion for the entire UH community, including the Safe Zone Program of allyship and advocacy. And we recently started the Rainbow ‘Ohana Program service and honors society that pairs accepted students with peer mentors and clusters them in cohorts.

Our programs are designed to engender the feeling of having an extended family of support, where we share responsibilities for one another and our larger community.

Keeping each other informed about our challenges and successes, and supporting each other on our journeys, is what we do. We also have a student lounge where students can relax, study, eat lunch and use the Wi-Fi network. And I am always available as a resource to help people access services, to talk about issues, and to work for the success of our LGBTQ+ and māhū students.

Two of our biggest celebrations are Rainbow Graduation, where we honor the accomplishments of our students and confer rainbow certificates and tassels, and the National Coming Out Day Fair that kicks off Honolulu Pride Parade and Festival week.

Our students are excited to have such visibility – and to be their true, authentic selves – at the National Coming Out Day Fair that happens every October in the Campus Center Courtyard. The fair features over 20 community resource tables, a DJ and drag queens. Mahalo to the Marina Del Rey family for its continued support, and for the ongoing partnerships with the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, and Hawaiian Airlines.

I am motivated to ground my work for LGBTQ+ communities in love as I pursue intersectional strategies for social justice. It is so important to lean into the transformative and healing power of love as we collectively face injustice.

I hope in these turbulent times, the LGBTQ+ community, māhū leaders and the MVPFAFF community will continue to come together for the good of Hawai‘i. I believe it is in our best interest to strategize how to ensure that our future LGBTQ+ generations will be able to live with aloha, mutual respect and shared responsibilities to one another as they care for the land and this Hawai‘i that we call home.

Camaron Miyamoto is the founding director of the LGBTQ+ Center at UH Mānoa, a position he has held since 2002, and a tenured faculty member in the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success. For more information, visit manoa.hawaii.edu/lgbtq/.

It’s no surprise that many people are tempted to tune out entirely, believing that avoiding the news will help maintain their mental well-being. Sometimes I feel the same way.

While briefly stepping away for a mental break sometimes makes sense, disengaging from current events doesn’t – either for you personally or for Hawai‘i and America. Avoiding the news doesn’t make problems disappear. It only makes people less prepared to navigate them.

Most important: In a democracy, decisions are made by the people who show up. If citizens withdraw from the news because it feels overwhelming, they surrender their influence and voice to those who remain engaged – potentially allowing misinformation or extreme viewpoints to dominate public opinion. Informed citizens are better equipped to challenge falsehoods, participate in debates and advocate for meaningful change.

Even on a personal, selfish level, you cede any power you might have when you become less informed about issues that directly shape your life, family, home and money: Public policies, economic trends, health crises and government decisions shape everything from job opportunities and investments to your personal health. Without awareness, you will be unprepared.

Don’t Just Read, Think

I hate the term “consuming the news” because it shortchanges the importance of your thinking. Reading the news gives you the opportunity to think differently. Here’s an important example: If your candidate lost an election, you could blame the stupid voters who voted for someone else, or you could try to understand why they chose differently. The next election campaign is not only an opportunity to change their minds but your own.

Here are ways to stay informed while minimizing anxiety.

• Choose your news sources: Instead of scrolling endlessly through sensationalized social media feeds that rely on explosive headlines to grab your attention, choose reliable news outlets known for factual reporting and balanced perspectives. And make a conscious effort to understand perspectives other than your own.

• Set boundaries: Rather than consuming news all day, set specific times to check updates. A short morning or evening review of headlines can keep you informed without overwhelming your emotions.

• Focus on solutions-based journalism: Many media outlets, including Hawaii Business Magazine, emphasize solutions to problems rather than just reporting on crises. Engaging with stories about problem-solving efforts can help maintain hope.

• Think historically: Knowing that Hawai‘i and America have survived wars, natural disasters and economic depressions should bolster your confidence that we can survive modern crises. And knowledge of the past can help guide your thinking about how to solve today’s problems.

If you fear for the future of American democracy as I do, read “How Democracies Die” by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt to understand how other nations destroyed their democracies in ways that sound all too familiar today.

• Use a local tool: Though diminished from the past, Hawai‘i still has a vibrant news media ecosystem. The easiest way to stay on top of it is by subscribing to Today’s Hawai‘i News, a free email newsletter sent twice every weekday by Hawaii Business Magazine. It summarizes local news from over a dozen outlets and gives you links to the full reports. Sign up at hawaiibusiness.com/newsletter-signup-2.

• Engage in meaningful discussions: Talking about current events with others can provide new perspectives and lessen the feeling of isolation in understanding complex topics.

• Take action: Combat your feelings of helplessness by getting involved, whether by volunteering, donating to causes or simply voting.

Tuning out the news might provide relief in the short term, but uninformed citizens abdicate their responsibility. Widespread unawareness guarantees the future will be worse than it could be.

As I look forward to retiring as editor in chief of Hawaii Business Magazine midyear, I worry equally about the future of our democracy and the future of good independent journalism because they are so intertwined.

I initially learned of that connection from my parents; it wasn’t anything they said, but what they did. They led hard working-class lives but they made time to read newspapers and watched TV news almost every day because they were also dedicated citizens of their adopted country.

They had escaped dictators, communism and fascism in Europe and knew how important democracy was to their present and their children’s future. They understood journalism was fundamental to that equation. Watergate reinforced that lesson for me.

Money Problems

The local news media faces many huge challenges, but money is fundamental to all of them. Every organization depends on money coming in: For the news media – whether for-profit or nonprofit – that means money from advertising, circulation, grants, donations, sponsors or sugar daddies.

Nationwide and in Hawai‘i, local media used to be owned by local residents who were among the richest people in town. (As the old joke goes, “Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one.”) Think Cec Heftel (KGMB), Chinn Ho (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) and Thurston Twigg-Smith (Honolulu Advertiser).

Many of them and their families made their money from the news media because the news business was profitable. Today it is more common for local media owners to be based on the continent or to make money in another field before buying or launching local media.

At the turn of this century, Honolulu’s two dailies had about 200 news staffers total. Today, the merged paper, the Star-Advertiser, has about 40 and is owned by Carpenter Media and its finance partners on the continent.

Hawaii Business and its sister magazines – Honolulu, Hawai‘i and Hawaii Home + Remodeling – are some of the few exceptions among widely distributed, for-profit local media. As our motto proudly declares, we are locally owned. Thank God our owner is Duane Kurisu because profit-driven we aren’t. But neither are we flush with cash.

Our reporting can be found in our print magazine and at hawaiibusiness.com, where it’s free for everyone. That means more people read our stories – I like that. But the web ads pay a fraction of a penny per view – and that’s impossible to like.

Almost a Vow of Poverty

For those in the trenches, journalism was never a path to affluence but most jobs paid middle-class wages, and in Hawai‘i, that made possible a decent family life with children. There are now fewer jobs and the salaries of many of those no longer lead to a middle-class family life here. That’s why so many journalists have switched to careers in corporate and government communications and PR. That happened a lot in the past, too, but became a flood during my career because the pay and opportunities are almost always better.

Yes, the internet provides more choices for where to get your news, but it also provides a million sources of misinformation. And it’s disrupted the business model of local news. Good reporting takes time, energy and money, and usually involves explaining nuance and context. Simple lies can be created in a few seconds for free – and too many people prefer simple answers.

I feel guilty about retiring when the future of American journalism and democracy are in such jeopardy. But age and exhaustion forced my hand, and I want to enjoy my life in Hawai‘i more.

But I will stay engaged. And if you care about our democracy, please also invest your time and money in good independent journalism, both local and national. Recent history here, on the mainland and abroad proves one will not survive without the other.

Steve Petranik became editor at Hawaii Business Magazine on Jan. 20, 2009, after leading The Honolulu Advertiser’s coverage of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration. Here are the first two issues he led from start to finish, April and May 2009.

The problem with paradise is the price we pay to live in it. It’s a lot.

That high cost has proved too much for many. To make ends meet, hundreds of thousands have left Hawai‘i in the past decade, many of them reluctantly, and more will follow. But my wife and I have been lucky. We’ve been here for 38 years and hope to stay for the rest of our lives.

It hasn’t been easy, though. We both worked full time for all of those years and raised two children. Plus, Ann would teach summer courses in addition to her regular classes at UH, her research and service work, and I often had a part-time job or two on top of a very full-time one.

Your story is likely similar: You and your families sacrifice to live in Hawai‘i, too. All of our hard work means less time to actually enjoy the Islands. Unless you’re one of the fortunate few, you’ve probably spent more time than you wanted inside an office, store, or other workplace and less time on the beach, in the ocean, or up the mountains.

I’ve always tried to strike a balance. After all, if you’re going to work all the time, you might as well live in Indiana instead of Hawai‘i.

Telling Legacy Stories

But now is the time for me to switch things up: I will be retiring in a few months as editor and executive publisher of Hawaii Business Magazine. Kent Coules has been promoted from co-publisher to publisher and will do an excellent job as HB’s leader. I have spent 16 years as editor of this magazine; on HB’s 70th anniversary, it’s time for new blood to launch us on the next 70 years.

I have offered to stay part-time at the magazine if I am wanted, but after retiring from full-time work, I will be spending more time doing the things that I love: paddling, swimming, hiking, reading, writing, and volunteering. And I’ll be taking up some new things, too, like yoga, the ‘ūkulele, advanced home repairs, and more sophisticated cooking.

And after decades of covering entrepreneurs, I actually want to become one, albeit part-time. The best part about writing is that I learn new things, so I will start my own one-man company and will write about almost anything. But I want to specialize in legacy stories—the story of you, your parents or grandparents, or your company.

One of my favorite assignments was an emotional one: writing about my parents growing up in Poland and being conscripted as forced labor for the Germans during World War II, their time as refugees after the war, their migration to England, and later to Canada. My parents had difficult lives, but their hard work and endurance made it possible for their four children to have better lives.

The Only Life I Have Known

There was a time when I thought I would work forever. What else would I do with all my time? After all, the life I have is the only life I know: I started delivering newspapers when I was 10, sold subscriptions door to door in the summers, worked part-time in an office when I was 14, in a factory when I was 17, and in a fishing lodge the next year. In college, I usually juggled three part-time jobs.

Frankly, I was a bit scared of retirement. I had read about how many people fell into inertia and despair after retiring. But as I added up the many things I was excited to do, I realized I could not possibly find time for all of them, even in retirement.

The second reason I was scared of retirement was the fear that my wife and I could outlive our savings. That’s still a possibility, but I have 90% confidence that won’t happen.

My hedge is that I plan to earn a little money on the side just in case and because I can’t possibly go cold turkey following 50 years of writing and editing.

So, after 38 years of paying the price of paradise, I plan to start enjoying paradise more.

If the most effective way to recruit excellent employees is to become a Best Place to Work, then surely the second-most effective way to recruit them is to spread the word far and wide that your company or nonprofit is a Best Place to Work.

That’s where we come in. Each year, the cover story in Hawaii Business Magazine’s April issue lists and briefly describes all of Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work. Then we spread the word on our website, hawaiibusiness.com, and in our twice daily email newsletter, Today’s Hawai‘i News, which has 23,000 subscribers and an open rate north of 70%.

In the latest list of Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work, 78 companies made the cut.

Thing is, you can’t live off your reputation for long. You have to keep proving yourself. That’s why it’s important to know that Friday, Oct. 18, is the deadline to register for the Best Places to Work survey that determines the 2025 list. There’s no fee; go to bestplacestoworkhawaii.com and register if you think your organization falls into one of two categories:

• One, you think your company is a Best Place to Work or might be.
• Or two, you want your company to become a Best Place to Work.

Honest Answers Provide Insights

Few organizations start as Best Places to Work. Almost all of them become Best Places to Work over time, and a crucial step is finding out what employees really think about their workplace, through a confidential survey.

Confidential surveys – like the ones conducted for the Hawai‘i Best Places to Work – means you are likely to get honest responses from your employees. The feedback helps your leadership team know what you are doing well and where your workplace has slipped off the tracks. The answers can be heartening and brutal – but most of all enlightening. I know because I’ve reviewed summaries of surveys of our own employees.

Last year as part of the Best Places to Work program, about 20,000 employees at more than 100 companies participated in confidential surveys. That’s a huge database to draw insights from.

We Partner With the Experts

We are not experts in collecting and analyzing that data but we partner with people who are. For two decades, we have collaborated with Peter Burke and his team on the Best Places to Work program.

“Being named a Best Place to Work will have a massive impact on an organization’s brand as an employer, but simply participating in the program has another huge benefit,” says Burke, CEO of Workforce Research Group.

“Regardless of whether an organization makes the list, all participants have the opportunity to invest in the WRG Employee Feedback Data Dashboard. This portal has the results of the employee engagement survey, benchmark reports and employee comments – information that is like gold if you want to build a better workplace. Most organizations pay less than $1,000 to access this invaluable information. Plus, a report analysis call with WRG is included,” he says.

If you keep at it, that information can help build a better workplace. And when you become a Best Place to Work, the payoff is enormous.

“The average percentage of employees in the U.S. who are engaged is about 35%. For the Best Places to Work in Hawai‘i, that percentage is 89%. That is an amazing accomplishment for the winners,” Burke says.

The rewards go far beyond better recruitment and retention. “Being named a Best Place to Work will have a huge impact on not only the employees, but the employees’ families, the organizations’ customers and the communities they serve,” he says.

Want a head start? Here are the top drivers of employee engagement:

1.  Employees liking what they do.
2.  Employees believing in the leadership of the organization.
3.  Employees being treated with dignity instead of like a number.
4.  Employees knowing what is expected of them.
5.  The company is committed to producing quality products and services.

Register for the program and find out where you stand on these issues.

Trinh said 92% of Fortune 500 companies are either experimenting with AI or actually using it. In fact, Mattmiller added, many individuals are using AI tools at work that are not authorized by their companies.

“Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trends Index surveyed 30,000 knowledge workers worldwide and used the telemetry data from Microsoft Office tools,” he said. “It found that 76% of knowledge workers are already using AI tools and of those, 78% are bringing their tools to work, meaning they are moving ahead of their IT departments. And it’s not just Gen Z. More than 65% of Baby Boomers are using these tools.”

I asked the audience at the summit: “How many of you are using AI, but your company has no AI policy or you have no idea what that policy is?” More than half raised their hands. If that is happening at your workplace, I recommend you set a policy and clearly communicate it. One common practice is to create a committee of diverse users to sort through the issues and recommend guiding principles. Be prepared to evolve as you learn more and AI evolves.

Can’t Code? No Problem

For those of us who can’t code, AI apps can do it for you. It takes tinkering but can pay off with custom-built programs for your unique needs. “That’s a huge benefit for a small investment of time,” Trinh said.

He also called the new multimodal capability of OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 and other apps a “game changer.” Multimodal means you can input prompts with text, images or audio and get responses back in any of the three.

And if you have lots of data but not enough time to analyze it, then feed the spreadsheet into AI and say, “Analyze the data, create a chart, then tell it to fix the chart,” Trinh said. This generation of AI excels at repetitive, time-consuming and structured tasks, the results of which can be validated by users for efficacy and accuracy, he said.

Mattmiller added: “When you start to use these new tools, start in your comfort zone, look at the low-risk, high-value uses cases, like a chatbot.”

AI Chatbot Was More Accurate

With his background in government, Mattmiller is attuned to AI’s ability to support public services. One example he cited was especially interesting because it shows the possibilities for chatbots in all kinds of customer service departments.

Microsoft partners with YoungWilliams, a company that builds solutions for government programs like SNAP, the successor to food stamps.

“They launched their first chatbot that can help a beneficiary look up their eligibility and the status of their benefits. Beneficiaries can use the chatbot or call a call center. After three months of being live, if you call the call center, you’re on hold for 10 minutes. If you use the chatbot, you’re in right away,” he said.

Once you get a human in a call center, it takes an average of two minutes for that person to find the answer, versus seconds for the chatbot, he said. Most important, the accuracy rate with the human is 91%; the chatbot 96%.

For more AI tips, see here.

AI may be taking over some jobs but based on a recent experiment, mine is not yet in danger. I asked ChatGPT to “Write a column about AI in the style of Steve Petranik, editor and executive publisher of Hawaii Business Magazine.”

The result, headlined “Navigating the Pacific Wave: AI’s Voyage in Hawaii’s Business Seas,” clumsily overused ocean metaphors and actually included the phrase, “In the aloha spirit of embracing new technologies.” It was full of cliches and glib ideas, BUT, it was well-organized, made good word choices and built a coherent argument for AI’s positive role today and in a brighter tomorrow. Clearly, ChatGPT has a pro-AI bias, even when trying to speak in my voice.

Don’t worry that Hawaii Business Magazine will use AI to write our articles. We won’t. But we are using it to support our reporting. The grunt work of journalists used to include transcribing the recordings of our interviews. Now we use Otter.ai – one of many AI transcription services – and save many hours, which now can be invested in further reporting and writing. You too may be using AI to transcribe meetings and conversations. Thank you, AI, for making that part of our work easier.

AI sometimes transcribes words incorrectly – it almost always screws up Hawaiian words – so we have to double-check its output, but if the recording is excellent, Otter’s AI transcription error rate is sometimes lower than the typical human error rate, maybe because it doesn’t get tired or bored by the mundane work.

Challenges for Creatives

AI challenges the principles of creative people like writers and designers, but we can look to the past for guidance. At the advent of personal computers, some illustrators and designers felt the new technology inhibited their creativity, while others embraced it. Today, most such creatives find tech tools to be an essential part of their kit, along with more traditional tools.

Digital photography was also a contentious technology when it first appeared, but decades later most professional photographers have voted with their cameras – the advantages in capturing the exact moment and time saved in the darkroom are just a few of the irresistible attractions. Creativity in photography is greater than ever, while those who love film are free to keep using it.

One of my favorite authors, John le Carre, wrote and revised his complex novels by hand – until his death in 2020 at the age of 89. Stephen King does most of his writing on a computer and that’s my method too.

Useful Start Points

The AI platform Midjourney played a role in this issue’s cover and Gen Z feature. Hawaii Business Creative Director Jeff Sanner had many ideas for illustrations, but instead of spending hours sketching them all out, he prompted Midjourney for about 40 starting points. He tinkered with those outputs that intrigued him, further refining the ideas and illustrations.

Then over two days, Jeff personally modified a few select illustrations to create what he wanted. The result is a personal creation using a combination of new and old tools and Jeff’s creative mind.

A good analogy for writers is Hamlet, Shakespeare’s crowning creation, which many scholars believe the playwright based on a Norse legend and on previous literary archetypes. Those were his starting points – the rest is Shakespeare.

Here are some of my initial principles as Hawaii Business experiments and works toward a fully formed AI policy:

• The AI we use should reduce our mundane, time-consuming, repetitive and uncreative work or improve it so we serve our readers better.
• A thoughtful human with good judgment should review AI’s work to ensure it is accurate, fair and of good quality, and to guard against bias.
• New uses of AI should be introduced with caution, with each staff member (including me) discussing them with at least one HB leader and preferably more – sometimes including outsiders.

I recommend creating your own business and personal AI policy and experimenting with AI. If you need further persuasion, consider this quote from Karim Lakhani, a professor at the Harvard Business School: “AI won’t replace humans – but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.”

Though we can’t change the weather, we can change our sleep habits – in theory. The problem is it’s often hard to get more sleep and many of us who try are failing.

Sleep has recently joined good nutrition and exercise among the broadly accepted foundations of physical and mental well-being. You’ve probably heard that lack of sleep is the new smoking, a designation that, of course, makes people even more anxious about not getting seven hours or more a night.

Everyone has trouble getting enough sleep some of the time, but a 2020 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 14.5% of adults had trouble falling asleep most days or every day in the past 30 days. The subgroup with the highest rate of short sleep duration was Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders at 47%.

This is not just a personal and health care issue, it’s also a business issue. A 2022 Gallup report estimated that the American economy loses $44.6 billion annually in unplanned absenteeism as a result of workers’ poor sleep. A 2010 report in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine estimated that workers who don’t get enough sleep each cost their businesses an average of $1,967 a year in reduced productivity.

Young Adults Suffer the Most

That Gallup report, called “The State of Sleep in America,” is a good overview of how broad the sleep problem is. Based on a survey of 3,000 Americans, it found that “over half (55%) of Americans cite getting a good night’s sleep as a ‘major priority’ on an average weekday – prioritizing it more than many other lifestyle factors, such as spending time with family and friends (45%) or eating healthy (40%).”

Despite that emphasis on getting a good night’s sleep, the Gallup report found that:

• 1 in 3 (33%) survey respondents described their sleep last night as “fair” or “poor.”
• 81% of them said “mental activity – thinking, mind racing or feelings – has prevented them from having a good night’s sleep.”
• Insufficient sleep is worst among young adults: 38% of them said their sleep was only fair or poor last night in each of the three youngest age categories: 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49.

I recommend reading Staff Writer Chavonnie Ramos’ report on traffic deaths in Hawai‘i. Though less of a killer than speeding and drunken and distracted driving, drowsiness is a significant factor in traffic crashes, especially in Hawai‘i.

A 2013 CDC report found that 5.7% of Hawai‘i drivers reported falling asleep while driving during the past 30 days, the highest rate in the poll after Texas. That report was based on responses from nearly 150,000 drivers in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Let Your Brain “Breathe”

The same things that lead to good health in general also contribute to a good night’s sleep: a nutritious diet, exercise, and no smoking or alcohol. Beyond that, a lot of research has shown that CBT – cognitive behavioral therapy – can help improve sleep. Unfortunately, it is not a quick fix.

But if it’s a quick fix you seek, here’s one that might work. Just keep in mind, I can offer no scientific evidence about its effectiveness. I just know it works for me.

When I’m exercising, I focus on the workout and otherwise try to let my brain “breathe.” That means I avoid earbuds, conversation and other distractions except for short breaks. That’s essential while ocean swimming and paddling, but I also do it while weightlifting, hiking or walking.

Without distractions, my mind focuses on the moment but also lets in the anxieties and distressing thoughts that we usually try to escape. I let those thoughts in while exercising, when my mind and body can best defuse them. For me, that makes those thoughts less powerful and prevalent later when I’m trying to fall asleep.

In her thoughtful and inspirational article, Ramos, who is a proud Filipina, tells the stories of people who have broken down barriers to achieve more visibility, more opportunities and more success for themselves and their community. She digs into the history and trends of Hawai‘i’s Filipino population, too.

Within hours of her story being published online, Ramos was inundated with emails from readers. Many expressed gratitude for her story, saying it encouraged them to reflect on the progress Filipinos have made and that it gave them optimism for their community’s future.

Su Lazo, director of the Filipino Community Center and president of JCI Hawaii, gave us permission to share some of her emailed comments: “Mahalo for writing the article and more importantly, adding another reason for Filipinos to feel proud of their heritage, feel less alone in their struggles, and see what’s possible for them here at home.”

A National Crisis

Ramos’ article and the response to it illustrate another reason why journalism matters – especially local journalism.

You’ve probably heard about the layoffs that have plagued American journalism. They’re nothing new as print, digital and broadcast organizations continue to struggle financially, but in January alone over 500 journalists lost their jobs, according to the job market consulting firm of Challenger, Gray and Christmas. In all of 2023, the news industry lost nearly 2,700 jobs, the firm said.

Another report, this one specifically focused on newspapers, highlights another grim statistic: The U.S. lost an average of 2.5 newspapers per week in 2023, according to Northwestern University’s Medill School for Journalism, Media & Integrated Marketing Communications.

The local media landscape looks dire, too. At press time, the corporate owner of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and its papers on Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island was undergoing a court-supervised restructuring and preparing to sell. Their staffs have shrunk dramatically in recent years and all publish much fewer of their own stories than a decade ago.

The Maui News, which is owned by a different corporation, was for sale, too. And you probably noticed that the print editions of Hawaii Business and its sister publications have also gotten smaller.

Journalism Needs Community Support

While the future of the journalism industry looks exceedingly uncertain, a future without journalism is even grimmer. Local communities suffer when on-the-ground reporters disappear and there’s no one to hold politicians and decision-makers accountable. And because the society we live in is experiencing increasing inequality and polarization, the misinformation and disinformation that rapidly spread on social media often reinforce divisions and longstanding prejudices.

Local communities need reporting that is diligently researched, gives community members the nuanced information they need to make informed decisions, and accurately, respectfully and fairly includes marginalized and underrepresented voices. Journalism has the power to help increase understanding of different perspectives and opinions, dismantle stereotypes and stigmas, and encourage constructive, rather than combative, dialogues.

There are some bright spots in the journalism industry, like new nonprofit journalism organizations that have popped up around the country. But being a nonprofit is not a panacea. Regardless of its business model, journalism needs community support to survive.

Community support must go beyond wishes and prayers. If you believe in the importance of journalism, invest money in it through subscriptions, advertising, donations or other means. If local journalism disappears, Hawai‘i and its people will suffer.