Ashliana Hawelu / Ashliana Hawelu, co-founder of a transgender sex worker outreach organization, serves a mostly Polynesian clientele, speaking to the acceptance of mahu in old Polynesia. A cultural shift led to much greater intolerance of mahu since Western contact, and Kulia Na Mamo–along with Ku Aloha Ola Mau and the Life Foundation–serves a disadvantaged and at-risk community. Kulia Na Mamo uses celebrity mahu to do outreach at clubs and shows, including holding the Diva Polynesia pageant (be on the lookout for the Diva at this month’s pride parade.) Hawelu sat down with our Margot Seeto to discuss issues facing the transgender community, as well as her hopes for the future of the organization.

Can you give a history of the organization?

We started from Ke Ola Mamo, the Native Hawaiian health care system designed to serve disenfranchised Native Hawaiians. There was a high flux of transgenders. I thought, “Maybe we should just do services for transgenders.” I spoke to the project director and we filed for our 501(c)(3) non-profit to service disenfranchised sex workers. That’s where the Mamo comes in our name. We opened in 2003 to empower transgender people to live more healthier and productive lifestyles.

So you have a background in public health?

My background was human services. Through that, I’ve been trained by the CDC, Department of Health, Native American organizations, abroad and here. I’ve developed guidelines and curriculums on the national level for transgenders and HIV. I’m going on my tenth year. I’m tired, but it’s just seeing the girls find hope [that keeps me going].

The definition of mahuwahine is only for male-to-female?

The word mahu encompasses those who are effeminate. [But] the word was stigmatized and used in a derogatory way. [So] to make us proud of who we are, we coined the word mahuwahine. It [gave] individuals a sense of place again. [In the old days], it was your kuleana, in helping us move forward as a people, not just who you slept with, how you dressed.

Is there a Hawaiian name for female-to-male individuals?

Not really. I know that there was another word that was aikane, which was a person that shared same-sex relationships.

Do you define transgender as going through the full surgery?

There are girls who go up to hormone therapy and then stop. Then there are girls who go through the whole surgery. We can fly out to Mexico or Thailand and get these surgeries done for cheap. But am I just going to be someone who has had an SRS–sex reassignment surgery, with the same issues I had before? It’s not a one-stop fix deal. It has to be something that gradually moves forward. We bring the reality to them and lead them to the resources. Bring your own blood. The HIV rate in Thailand is high. You don’t if know their blood is free of diseases. And about 10 years ago, girls were discharging feces from their vagina. Why are girls so adamant about doing this? If they could be accepted, maybe they don’t have to go through underground silicone black markets, getting silicone pumped directly into their breast, hips or faces, where it can disfigure or kill you. We here at Kulia Na Mamo have a little bit more support, although we don’t do the full gambit because of the lack of staff.

Why is there a higher number of mahuwahine in sex work?

This is not an attack on religion, but [homophobia] began as the Western religion began to unfold. [Having a hard time looking] for a job, coming from a broken family, not being fully accepted, is something that a lot of our transgendered people endure. Going into prostitution is a way to find superficial love. Out on the streets this man is willing to pick me up. It makes you feel good. And I may have a place to live, whether it’s with this man or making enough money to live from hotel to hotel. And wishing someday a man would rescue them. And it may be a commodity for girls to be in prison. Men see [her] walking in the door–she has breasts like a woman. It’s the whole appearance of that lifestyle that can fabricate the reality or it can be a tool for survival in harsh conditions. Transitioning out of prison is the problem. They want to stay because they got food, housing, shelter and a boyfriend [whose] probably doing life.

Is there any tension between the mahuwahine and other groups in the LGBTQQ community?

If a mahuwahine gets into an altercation with another, then it’s done and squashed. We’re going to see each other again. The community is too small. We’ve come to understand that everybody is sisters. There’s a spectrum of being gay, transgender, transsexual, transvestite and everything in between. Everybody don’t get along with each other–a lot of us don’t want to be considered gay. I consider myself a woman. [Some] enjoy being “in between,” having breast implants, taking hormone therapy, that do not want to proceed through reassignment surgery because they’re comfortable.

What are the programs that Kulia Na Mamo offers?

We have our HIV/substance abuse/Hep C–our Happy Divas project, to help our clients recognize the risks of HIV transmission. [We have] case management, HIV/Hep C testings and harm reduction education. We do treatment referrals for girls who are addicted. We try not to [choose a program with] a strong religious base–they come out more distorted. Then we have employment preparation training for low-income individuals, and some cultural grounding–where mahu comes. We are looking to [re]establish [our] transitional home for those exiting sex work. The funding was cut, then they sold the house. And we found out the Legislature wasn’t giving any Grant-in-Aids this term. We’re always looking for donations and other funding. We would love to do [more] work training, tapping into different businesses that will do shadowing and provide jobs for our clients. Or finding funds for girls who want to obtain higher education. A lot of them can’t apply for financial aid, you know, ex-inmates.

Does your organization ever get harassed?

There were obscene calls. We don’t put out a lot of advertisements because we want to protect our people. There’s clients that are not transgender, but we’re not gonna push them away. I think [they come to us] because of the openness and how we share culturally.