Two new initiatives aimed at strengthening connection, visibility and support for Kauaiʻs LGBTQIA2S+ community will launch this weekend, combining community care and unity with cultural storytelling during Pride Month.
A new LGBTQIA2S+ MVPFAFF* support Group will begin meeting on June 8 at the YWCA Kauaʻi, offering a dedicated space for queer and trans adults seeking connection, healing and community.
The free group, open to individuals 18 and older, will meet from 4 to 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays. Organizers say sessions will focus on grounding practices, relationship-building and sustainable coping skills in a confidential, consent-based environment.
The support group is facilitated by Axel Winget, the YWCA prevention educator who is a registered drama therapist and founder of Queer Healing Space. He has support from Sheila Marie Felipe of the YWCA clinical team.
The group is made possible by the support and expertise of Matthew Houck, director of prevention and co-chair and co-founder of Kauaʻi Pride, along with Kelly Gentry, clinical director at the YWCA.
Tea and snacks will be provided.
“This all started because there hadnʻt been anything like that on the island for a couple of years,” Winget said. “I was both looking for community and looking for a way to serve the community.”
Winget said the effort began nearly a year ago after noticing the absence of a dedicated queer support group through the YWCA. Since then, organizers have worked to create a space that differs from traditional support groups by incorporating storytelling, creative expression and art-based healing instructions.
“We really wanted it to be accessible and open,” Winget said. “People can come in and feel like they belong, but they donʻt have to share anything personal if they donʻt want to.”
He added that the team initially considered requiring RSVPs but shifted to a drop-in format.
“Confidentiality remains a central component of the group’s structure,” Winget explained. “One of our main community agreements is how important confidentiality is; we take that very seriously.”
The launch of the support group coincides with Pride Month events on the Garden Island.
On June 2, Mayor Derek Kawakami signed a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month on Kauaʻi.
On June 5, community members will have an opportunity to gather through film and conversation when the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival’s Friends in Film Talk Story series comes to the island for the first time.
The event is scheduled for Friday, June 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hā Coffee + Hale Līhuʻe and will feature a free screening of “Kapaemahu” and “Aikāne,” two Native Hawaiian stories exploring identity, love and legacy through ʻike Hawaiʻi and animation.
Winget said storytelling remains one of the most effective ways to bridge devides and build understanding.
“I think in sharing each other’s stories, we can find commonality,” he said.
On Saturday, June 6, community members will get another opportunity to gather for the eighth annual Pride Parade. An event dedicated to promoting and celebrating peace, acceptance and unity for everyone on Kauaʻi.
The parade runs from 10 to 11 a.m. along Rice Street, starting at Vidinha Stadium and ending at the Historic Kauaʻi County Lawn. The festival will take place on the County Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Cyenna Summers, and will also feature Hālau Ka Pā Hula O Hinano.
The YWCA Kauaʻi support group launches on Monday.
“We want the public to know that there’s a group where they can just show up as they are, be themselves, and that they don’t need to prove anything or defend their existence,” Winget said.
Organizers hope the events will strengthen community ties while creating spaces where LGBTQIA2S+ residents and allies can gather, share experiences and celebrate resilience through connection, creativity and culture.
“We have to keep the hope up, keep our community together, and do not isolate ourselves,” Winget said. “And, I do think that’s a tendency when we get like anxious and depressed, and it gets overwhelming, to isolate ourselves, but we need each other now more than ever.”
To register for the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, click here.
For further information on the YWCA Kauaʻi support group, contact: axel@ywcakauai.org or call 808-245-5959 ext: 121
