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Sexual and Gender Diversity in Native America and the Pacific Islands - National Park Service
- Posted on 25th Oct
- Category: news
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OUTREACH, DISTRIBUTION AND ENGAGEMENT FOR KUMU HINA - Pacific Islanders in Communications
- Posted on 25th Oct
- Category: news
OUTREACH, DISTRIBUTION AND ENGAGEMENT FOR KUMU HINA
(or How to Get on Netflix by Really Really Trying)
Making a documentary is a lot of work. But once the final frame is finished, how do you make sure that your film is seen and has the impact you're hoping for? What we found for our PIC-supported documentary KUMU HINA is that outreach, distribution and engagement are just as demanding, and as important, as the filmmaking itself.The process began five years ago, when we were incredibly fortunate to meet Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a kanaka maoli teacher, cultural icon and community leader who also happens to be māhū, or transgender. We thought her life and work would be a good topic for a public television film, and were delighted when she agreed to participate, allowing us to film every aspect of her life from teaching at a charter school to meetings of the O'ahu Island Burial Council to intimate moments at home with her new husband. Our mutual goal was to have Hina tell her story in her own words, creating a personal narrative that would organically inform and engage viewers about Hawaii's tradition of embracing gender diversity.
The first step in our outreach – letting people know about the film – was to identify the potential audiences. We expected KUMU HINA to have special appeal to Pacific Islanders, many of whom are struggling to maintain their identity and cultural connections amidst the pressures of living in a heavily westernized society, and to the LGBT community including māhū, transgender individuals, and anyone who falls outside the rigid confines of mainstream concepts of gender and sexuality. We also hoped that the film would offer opportunities to educate and engage a broad national audience by showing a side of Hawai'i rarely depicted in mainstream media.
Social media provides one of the most powerful tools for outreach because of its built-in ability to target networks of like-minded individuals. We started our efforts by establishing a Facebook page early on during the filming process, reaching out both to Hina's large network of friends in Hawai‘i and Pacific Islander communities, and to our own established LGBT networks from previous projects. By posting several times a week, both about the film and related news topics - ranging from the protests on Mauna Kea to Caitlin Jenner's transition - we gradually built up a following that has now, with the addition of Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram pages, reached some 20,000 supporters.
Blogs are another popular outreach medium, especially for topics that require longer explanations than a typical Facebook post or tweet. We focused our efforts on the Huffington Post, which has the advantage of including pages devoted both to Hawai‘i and to Queer Voices, again posting both about the film and related topics.
Our plans for distribution – getting the film out into the world – began with festivals, a time honored way both of introducing the project to the public and obtaining the notice and press that is key to success across platforms. Sticking with our strategy of starting at home, we decided to premiere the film at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, and were very fortunate to be picked as the closing night film for the Spring Showcase. With the support of PIC, and a wonderful performance before the film by Hina and musical contributor Kealiʻi Reichel, this turned into an amazing event, selling out the historic Hawai'i Theatre with a diverse and enthusiastic audience.
Over the next year, KUMU HINA played at over 100 film festivals around the country and world. While the absolute numbers of viewers at such screenings is limited, they play a key roll in generating buzz and enthusiasm. Among the many highlights were Frameline – the large LGBT festival in San Francisco, where KUMU HINA won the documentary jury prize – and FIFO Tahiti – the only Pacific Island documentary festival, where the film came away with both jury and audience awards.
The major distribution channel for KUMU HINA was, of course, public television, which has a long tradition of introducing viewers to new and sometimes controversial topics and ideas. We were very fortunate to have the film selected for Independent Lens, PBS's prestigious documentary strand which, by virtue of its reputation and Monday night prime-time slot on the national feed, attracts close to a million viewers every week. Despite initial hesitation from PBS executives, who thought the topic might be “too obscure,” KUMU HINA did exceptionally well, winning the audience award as the most popular film among voting viewers for the 2014-2015 season. This turns out to be the third PIC- supported film that has won the Independent Lens Audience award (the others are Nā Kamalei: Men of Hula and Heart of the Sea), speaking directly to the large demand of Pacific Islanders to see their stories on television.
While the PBS broadcast certainly reached the most viewers at any one time, other forms of physical and digital distribution are needed to make the film available on an ongoing basis; e.g., DVD, download, streaming and video-on-demand. Because there are now so many different platforms available, each with its own particular delivery and contractual requirements, we decided early on that it would be difficult to do it all ourselves, and began searching for an established commercial distributer to collaborate with. This led us to Passion River, a medium size distributor with an emphasis on social issue films, many on Netflix. Another advantage was their willingness to contract on a non-exclusive basis for educational distribution, an important consideration.
By the day after broadcast, the film was available to buy for home use on Amazon, rent or download on iTunes, or obtain for education use on Alexander Street Press, Kanopy, or our own website. It was also added to the inflight entertainment system on Hawaiian Airline, a wonderful way for visitors to learn about this little known aspect of Hawaiian culture.
Netflix was more difficult. The film was rejected at first, and again even after it won the Independent Lens Audience Award. Only when KUMU HINA was honored as best documentary of the year by GLAAD, the country's preeminent LGBT media organization, did Netflix finally make an offer – which was accepted with alacrity.
Engagement – connecting the film to action for change – is perhaps the most complicated yet important stage in the life of a documentary. Our aim was educational: to make the teaching of Kumu Hina available beyond her small Honolulu charter school to students, educators and families across Hawai‘i, the nation and the world. One obstacle that quickly became apparent was that although the feature documentary was well suited for college students in a variety of subject areas, it was too long, and in some senses too complex, for the most important target audience: elementary, middle and high-school students. This motivated us to cut a shorter version of the film, A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE, that focused on Hina's work with an eleven year old girl who aspired to join the school's all-male hula group. By telling the story from her point of view, and the use of colorful animation, we produced a 24 minute piece that kids enjoy watching.
A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and went on to screen at Toronto International, Tokyo Kineko, and children's festivals around the world, but the real work was making the film useful and available to teachers. We began by collaborating with several educators and experts in Hawaiian and gender studies to produce a discussion guide that includes background information about Hawai'i and māhū, discussion questions, lesson ideas, and guided activities. We linked the material to the Common Core Educational Standards – a key element for educators in today's world of standardized testing - and to the new Nā Hopena Aʻo native learning outcomes developed by the Hawai'i Department of Education. This was bundled with several additional resources, including a DVD and a Pledge of Aloha, and made available to educators at no cost through the support of PIC and the Ford Foundation.
We began the educational campaign at home by introducing the curriculum to local educators and families through a series of screenings and talk story sessions at public libraries, many of which are located in public schools, and a screening on PBS Hawaiʻi combined with a PBS Insights discussion on “How Can Our Community Better Understand Gender Diversity?” Despite the trepidation of some DOE bureaucrats, we were subsequently able to distribute the resources to every school in Hawaiʻi, where they have been well received by teachers and students and are now being used in K-12 classrooms statewide.
At the national level, we soon discovered that there was a real demand for resources about the hot-button issue of gender diversity, especially from a cultural and historical point of view. Online portals hosted by educational organizations have proven to be a convenient and efficient mode of dissemination. One of the most successful collaborations has been with PBS LearningMedia, a trusted source for educational media with over 1.8 million registered users; A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE is now the most frequently used resource on the transgender topic in their large collection. Similar collaborations were established with Teaching Tolerance, Welcoming Schools, Our Family Coalition, Not In Our Schools, and the Native Hawaiian Education Council, each with its own constituency and networks.
Perhaps the most important lesson we've learned through the KUMU HINA project is that there is no “one size fits all” solution that works for all films or all audiences. It's important to be flexible, and to be willing to work a little extra (e.g. cutting a new version of the film) to have the most effective outreach, distribution and engagement. We think it's well worth the added effort to bring beautiful and meaningful Pacific Islander stories to the public.
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"A Place in the Middle" on The Laura Flanders Show
- Posted on 8th Oct
- Category: news
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"Kumu Hina: Bold, Raw, and Unforgettable" - The Palm Springs Desert Sun
- Posted on 8th Sep
- Category: news
CINEMA DIVERSE: LGBT MOVIES REFLECT NEW FRAME OF MIND
by Greg Archer - The Palm Springs Desert Sun - September 7, 2016
We always hear about people looking for the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. You know, as a kind of saving grace during challenging transitions. Clearly, 2016 will be remembered as “challenging” for the LGBT community.
That’s where something like cinema comes in. It adds levity … because sometimes, the brightest light we can ever find is the one flickering on a movie screen in a dark theater spotlighting LGBT trials and victories. This isn’t “News at 11.” In fact, over the last few years, LGBT cinema has grown considerably.
But cinematically, 2015 and 2016 stand out for a number of other reasons.
Michael Carroll Green, director of Cinema Diverse, the popular Palm Springs LGBT film festival that unravels in September, is quick to point out the expansion of diverse storytelling, noting “a rise in the number of stories we’re seeing in LGBTQ films about trans and intersex people.”
To be sure, these topics were not being explored in cinema with such vigor a decade ago. In fact, so many creative leaps have been made since Chaz Bono illuminated his journey as a transgender man in “Becoming Chaz” (2011). Take a quick look at the bevy of films, documentaries, and television series about transgender and intersex people that have captured our attention in just five years’ time. “My Prairie Home” (2013) and Amazon’s award-winning “Transparent,” which debuted in 2014, certainly stand out. Last year, film fest audiences marveled at “The Joneses” — so touching, so honest, the doc spotlighted a 74-year-old transgender matriarch of a unique Mississippi Bible Belt family. And “Call Me Marianna” (2015), an understated albeit haunting Polish film about a transgender woman with personal and health concerns, triumphed in storytelling. So, too, did “Kumu Hina” (2015) — bold, raw, and unforgettable, the doc spotlighted a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who relays stories about Hawaii's long-held embrace of “mahu” (third-person genders).
This year, “Kiki” is all the buzz. Filmmakers Sara Jordenö and Twiggy Pucci Garçon’s romp about the political subculture of New York City’s LGBT youth of color, for whom dance is far more than performance, is fierce, unapologetic, and flamboyant. But look for “Arianna” to win hearts at Cinema Diverse. The emotional Italian film about a teenage girl who learns from her parents that she was born intersex, but was surgically altered, delivers a powerful message about the freedom of personal choice.
Based-on-real-life films, anyone? It’s a theme.
Notice how, after “Milk” (2008), “The Runaways” (2010), “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013), “Reaching for the Moon” (2013) and the heartwarming, critically-acclaimed “Pride” (2014), audience’s appetites for real-life stories became stronger. Look how well “Freeheld” (2015) starring Ellen Page and Julianne Moore was received. The film chronicled the plight of real-life police officer Laurel Hester, who fought her local government to allow her partner access to her pension. (Actually, the film began as a documentary prior to Page’s and Moore’s version.)
Another interesting theme: The James Franco Touch. Beyond the entertainment news headlines surrounding Franco’s sexuality — last year the actor-producer-director told The New Yorker: “Yeah, I’m a little gay, and there’s a gay James” — we find something genuine: An LGBT ally whose film presence helps push some smaller projects out into the mainstream — “Howl” (2010), “Sal” (2011), “Interior Leather Bar” (2013), “Wild Horses” (2015) and Franco’s mind-bending turn as a “gay-to-straight” activist in “I Am Michael” (2015). Let’s not forget his more risqué, adult-film-star odyssey that is ”King Cobra,” which premiered at L.A.’s Out Fest in the summer.
Clearly, modern technological advances have impacted filmmaking, too. Anybody who sat through “Tangerine” (2015) understands that all too well. The award-winning indie film about a beleaguered hooker who, along with her best friend, is determined to get retribution from a pimp, was shot entirely on an iPhone 5s and anamorphic adaptors. (Wannabe filmmakers: Get your smartphones out now.)
But here’s something refreshing. Green believes that the B part of LGBT is being addressed with more frequency in films. It could move beyond just a trend.
“A lot of people don’t talk about it [bisexuality],” Green explains. “We like to say we are really inclusive. But sometimes, the B gets left out of the conversation.”
To that end, Cinema Diverse tosses “Throuple” into its eclectic lineup this year. An award-winning Hawaiian film about a polyamorous couple’s relationship, “Throuple” candidly explores misconceptions about sexuality.
“I appreciate the fact that it looked at the virtual rainbow of sexuality,” Green adds. “I think what many films have done over the last year is stretch the definition of sexuality and definition of gender and gender identity. And the LGBTQ community is really way ahead of the culture in dealing with these very real issues.”
Most were groundbreaking, others were just inspiring escapes. Take note of a dozen of the top LGBT-themed films of the last 50 years.
‘Carol’ (2015)
Drop the emotional baggage and just love. That’s the idea here, however, it’s 1950s Manhattan and emotions run high for two star-crossed lovers (Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara) — and so do the consequences. Worthy of its Oscar noms.
‘Longtime Companion’ (1989)
One of the best LGBT films of all time finds a group of friends confronting the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s. But what’s this? We also get some of the finest work in the careers of Campbell Scott, Dermot Mulroney and Mary-Louise Parker.
‘Torch Song Trilogy’ (1988)
Harvey Fierstein’s Tony Award-winning play brings Matthew Broderick and Anne Bancroft along for the big-screen ride in a poignant, unforgettable tale about relationships, love of all kinds, and the quirky lines we all walk for acceptance.
‘Boys in the Band’ (1970)
Director William Friedkin’s classic tale broke new ground in this screen version of the popular play about a group of gay men at a birthday celebration that quickly derails and turns into a deeper exploration of self-acceptance and sexuality.
‘Paris Is Burning’ (1990)
Drag queens pursue their dreams in New York City. What’s not to like? Fortunately, beyond the sass and makeup, we’re given a story that also isn’t afraid to touch upon the realities of racism and poverty, too.
‘My Beautiful Launderette’ (1985)
Daniel Day-Lewis in one of his earlier memorable roles plays a man who, after being reunited with his former lover, helps revitalize his former beau’s new launderette. The message: Love deeper. Rinse. Repeat.
‘Boys Don’t Cry’ (1999)
Hilary Swank took home an Oscar for her performance as Brandon, a determined young transgender man who falls for small-town gal Lana (Chloë Sevigny). One of the first major films to address transgender issues.
‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)
That a story about two closeted cowboys in love is now considered one of the great love stories of American film is a triumph. Ang Lee’s brilliant adaptation of Annie Proulx’s short story nabbed an Oscar for Best Director and nods for its actors, the late Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams. We can still hear the haunting soundtrack.
‘Tangerine’ (2015)
Last year’s hit indie film is a worthy Netflix romp if you dig creative filmmaking, riveting (and real) dialogue, and a story about a transgender hooker hell-bent on righting an emotional wrong. Of course you do.
‘Milk’ (2008)
Sean Penn and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black took home Oscars for this remarkable tale chronicling the life of iconic civil rights activist Harvey Milk, who, in 1977, became the nation's first openly gay man elected to public office (San Francisco Board of Supervisors) before his assassination in 1978. Worthy of repeat viewings.
‘The Times of Harvey Milk’ (1984)
Doc lovers will appreciate just how well Milk’s legacy is captured here in an exposé that deserves ideal real estate in any film queue.
‘Hedwig and The Angry Inch’ (2001)
John Cameron Mitchell’s fierce fairy tale about fate, gender and identity rises to the occasion on all fronts. Nothing — not even a botched gender reassignment surgery — will keep one determined crooner down. One of the best soundtracks around.
If You Go:
Cinema Diverse, which will present 42 screenings this year, runs Sept. 22-25 at Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs. For the full, up-to-date list of films featured, visit cinemadiverse.org.
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Free Gender Diversity Resources for Educators
- Posted on 7th Sep
- Category: news
As the new school year begins, communities across the country are searching for ways to help ensure that all students, including transgender students, can attend school in an environment free from discrimination.
To help educators seeking to deepen their own understanding and get students thinking and talking about how to create a welcoming and inclusive school climate, a powerful resource modeled on Hawaiian culture's tradition of gender diversity is being made available for free to all interested in putting them to use in the classroom.
A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE is the true story of a young girl who dreams of leading the boys-only hula group at her Honolulu school, and a transgender teacher who empowers her and other students through sharing the importance of treating all people with dignity, honor, and respect.
This inspiring youth-focused PBS Learning Media film includes a Classroom Discussion Guide with background information on Hawaii, conversation triggers, lesson plans, and links to Common Core Educational Standards.
A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE has been reviewed by cultural and education experts and recommended for use in elementary, middle, and high school, with special relevance for grades 4-12. It has also been incorporated into the Perspective for a Diverse America anti-bias framework and Expanding Gender: Youth Out Front curriculum.
The film, teaching guide, and resources are all available for free, and a team of professionals is also available to help with workshops for teachers, administrators, and students interested in additional training.
For more information contact:
Joe Wilson
A Place in the Middle
Community Education Coordinator
e: QwavesJoe@yahoo.com
t: 808-629-9864
All project resources can be viewed & downloaded at these links
What People are Saying about A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE
"An amazing tool to help educators understand the need for acceptance for each and every child regardless of gender expression."
- Tracy Flynn, Welcoming Schools
"One of the most positive films about the transgender experience I've ever seen."
- Jennifer Finney Boylan, Professor, Barnard College of Columbia University
"This educational project is part of the continuing revival and growth of awareness of kanaka maoli traditions that are so relevant in Hawaii today."
- Puakea Nogelmeier, Hawai'inuaiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Univ. of Hawaii
"A valuable teaching tool for students of all ages, as well as for parents and educators."
- Carol Crouch, Ele'ele Elementary School, Kauai
"An inspiring coming-of-age story on the power of culture to shape identity, personal agency, and community cohesion, from a young person's point-of-view."
- Cara Mertes, Ford Foundation
"A powerful film that breathes with life ... a true 'Whale Rider' story."
- The Huffington Post
This PBS Hawaii conversation may also be helpful:
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"22 Awesome LGBT Documentaries You Need to Watch on Netflix" - Here Media
- Posted on 24th Aug
- Category: news
Click on these photos to see the full list:
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Kumu Hina Receives the NEA's Ellison S. Onizuka Award for Human & Civil Rights
- Posted on 5th Jul
- Category: news
National Education Association
Press Release – June 28, 2016
Educators to honor Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu for commitment to Hawaiian Culture
Annual gala marks 50th anniversary of the NEA-American Teachers Association merger
The National Education Association has recognized and honored those who have fought — and continue to fight — for human and civil rights at a moving and inspiring awards gala since 1967. This year, NEA will thank and honor the outstanding work of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu and 12 of America’s social justice heroes at its annual Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner on July 3 in Washington.
NEA will also recognize the 50th anniversary of its merger with the American Teachers Association. ATA, which represented Black teachers in segregated schools, originally created the Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner. As part of the merger, NEA agreed to carry on this important tradition.
“Like the brave visionaries who forever intertwined the NEA and ATA in social justice advocacy 50 years ago, we honor these 13 American human and civil rights heroes because they are doing what we know is right, just and courageous,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. “They are confronting the most controversial and pressing issues facing our country. They are standing up for those who have been knocked down. They are offering a beacon of light to those left behind. They are making sure the voices of those drowned out by institutional racism, inequality and disenfranchisement are heard. They motivate us, they inspire us through their deeds and actions, and they embody what is just and right about our world.”
A native Hawaiian, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, also known as Hina, is a dedicated kumu (teacher) and this year’s recipient of the NEA Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award for her work in educating others about Native Hawaiian culture.
Stemming back to her first years in college, where Hina began her transition from male to female, Hina knew that although her family and respective community embraced her transition, there were many young adults still afraid of being shunned as a result of the westernized Christian view of marriage. Finding pride, dignity and refuge in her Hawaiian culture, Hina wanted nothing more than to share her culture with others. With her background in education, she taught Hawaiian language, hula (dances), oli (chants), and history. Hina has also provided guidance on appropriate curriculum and protocols that preserve the Native Hawaiian culture.
Among Hina’s greatest accomplishments is the development of a multi-award winning PBS production called “A Place in the Middle.” Through this 25-minute kid-friendly film, viewers are left with a powerful message that focuses on acceptance, love, and anti-bullying. The film has gone on to be the most widely used resource on Hawaiian culture at PBS Learning Media. Whether it’s teaching hula or sharing her journey through a multi-award winning film, Hina has made it her mission to always place her native Hawaiian culture at the forefront of all her endeavors.
To view full bio, click here. For a full list and bios of this year’s winners please visit here.
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.
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Now on NETFLIX
- Posted on 1st Jul
- Category: news
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"THE TRANS-FOCUSED ENTERTAINMENT YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" -- Tribeca Film Institute
- Posted on 19th Jun
- Category: news
A starter's guide to the trans-themed films and programs that are worth seeking out.
It came, we saw, she conquered.
Caitlyn Jenner's incredible, breathtaking Vanity Fair cover is sure to dominate the cultural conversation for a long time, and deservingly so. It can't and shouldn't be ignored, however, that although Jenner's reveal (as well as the outpouring of praise and well-wishes that quickly followed) certainly marks a crucial step into a more accepting and progressive future, the trans community is vast, diverse, and stretches far, far past the admittedly wealthy, white, and famous Jenner. When it comes down to it, not every trans woman gets her own mega-hyped reality show or can afford to look like Jessica Lange, nor should she need to in order to be embraced and respected by those outside her community.
Yes, we should by all means celebrate Caitlyn and her personal victory; it's no small feat. But it is unfortunate and flat-out wrong if we halt the conversation there. Between the alarmingly high rate of suicides among trans kids and the continued violence against trans women of color, there are still a great many trans-related issues that we need to recognize, discuss, and repair. There is still so much work to be done.
In order to continue any conversation regarding human rights issues, it is always helpful to have entertainment to engage and enlighten us. Here, then, is a brief starter list of carefully-curated films and television programs that shine a much-needed light on transpeople, both real and fictional, in both dramatic and documentary work. The list skews mainstream, but we hope it will inspire you to dig deeper into film history and check out the seminal works of Pedro Almodóvar, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Paul Morrissey.
In the meantime, Tribeca recommends:
Kumu Hina (2014)
Highly distinctive and endlessly illuminating, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson's documentary follows Hina Wong-Kalu, a Hawaiian teacher and māhū (transgender woman), as she strives to maintain her native culture and encourages one of her promising female students to lead the school's all-male hula group. Kumu Hina, which is also available in an educational children's version, is a moving and empowering story about a person, place, and culture the movies rarely take an interest in, unless presented with the opportunity to cast Emma Stone as half-Asian. So Kumu Hina is a rarity that's hard to imagine many audience members selecting of their own volition, but it's a rarity that has a great deal to tell and teach us, if we only wish to learn.
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"UOTeachOUT To Screen Documentary on Transgender Teacher" - Eugene Weekly
- Posted on 7th May
- Category: news
UOTeachOUT To Screen Documentary on Transgender Teacher
by Claire Rischiotto - May 5, 2016
A multitude of misinformed ideas about gender and bathrooms has permeated the national discussion as of late, but here in Eugene, the University of Oregon is addressing homophobia and transphobia in public education through UOTeachOUT, its annual series of events on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Each year, UO education professor Julia Heffernan and her colleagues invite a guest speaker to provide insight on LGBT-related topics for future educators and the general public. This year, UOTeachOUT has invited Hina Wong-Kalu, a transgender woman and educator in Hawaii, who is featured in the documentaryA Place in the Middle.
According to a recent climate survey in Eugene School District 4J, 7 to 9 percent of secondary students in the district identify as LGBTQ, and 54 percent of secondary students in 4J suffer harassment on a monthly basis due to sexual orientation.
Heffernan, Tina Gutierez-Schmich, equity director of Bethel School District, and UO seniors in Heffernan’s class about homophobia all helped organize UOTeachOUT.
On May 12, UOTeachOUT hosts a screening of A Place in the Middle, followed by a discussion with Wong-Kalu. The film’s directors will also be present.
“This is such an important topic, and Hina’s story offers us a window into what it can look like to have safe, welcoming and inclusive schools for diversity to thrive,” Heffernan says.
A Place in the Middle shares Wong-Kalu’s transition story and how she supported a female student, who identifies as male and female, to lead an end-of-the-year dance performed by male classmates.
When Wong-Kalu was 18, she began transitioning, which she describes as a “slow and painstaking transition process.” She was concerned with looking like a woman and being beautiful like her mother, she says.
She explains that she didn’t want to look like a boy in girl’s clothing. “I wanted to be my family’s daughter,” she tells EW.
When asked about what educators and future educators can do to be allies for transgender students, Wong-Kalu says, “Stop identifying with penis and vagina and thinking about what’s between people’s legs.”
Wong-Kalu says she believes that getting to know someone should be the focus. She adds, “What’s the great difference on the inside between a transgender person and a non-transgender identifying person? Do we not all have feelings? Do we not all have goals, some kind of aspiration, some kind of want, some kind of need? Do we not all have likes and dislikes?”
At the UOTeachOUT, Wong-Kalu says, “I hope to share that there is a particular feel and flare to the transgender experience and [in] the Polynesian and Asian context, and that I am but one example of that.” — Claire Rischiotto
UOTeachOUT kicks off with a BBQueer fundraiser starting 3 pm Saturday, May 7, at Claim 52 Brewing, 1030 Tyinn Street. The screening of A Place in the Middle begins 6 pm Thursday, May 12, at Prince Lucien Campbell Hall, Room 180, on the UO campus. Admission is free. Find more event information at uoteachout.com.
