Cathy Kapua
Name Cathy Kapua
Age 44
Town/Moku Wai'anae
Island Oʻahu
Social Media Handle none
Nominated by Visa Castillo
Leadership Category Mauli Ola - Health, Personal & Family Development
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
My name is Cathy Kapua and I am a Native Hawaiian transgender woman who has worked for the transgender and māhū community since 2003. First starting as an employment counselor at Kulia Na Mamo, then moving on to an outreach workers at the Life Foundation.
I assisted the agency transition of Life Foundation into Hawai'i Health & Harm Reduction Center at which point formed the transgender social justice program called Kua'ana Project. This is where a team of transgender leaders were able to advocate for several laws and protections: healthcare protections for transgender patients; insurance coverage for gender affirming care; gender marker change on Hawai'i birth certificates; and Dept of Education protections for trans students in public schools.
After working for 18 years in the non-profit field, I have since expanded my reach in social justice advocacy as I took on a remote position as Deputy Director for a trust located in New York.
My connection to our local people is still strong as I remain on my family's land in Wai'anae. Also, I have continued on as an advisor for the Kua'ana Project keeping abreast of the needs for our transgender and māhū communities.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
As a transgender advocate and community leader, it is important for me to keep our people safe and have access to their needs. It is through this work, I have been able to find healing for myself. I have grown and found that as I advocated for my own needs, I am also paving a path for others like me to exist and thrive.
The community's healing is important to me because if they have access to their needs, then our people are stronger and healthier.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
Understanding our kuleana (responsibility) to our people is an important leadership quality. Leaders with this sense of responsibility will exhibit a level of respect to those that they serve. They are able to apologize when they are wrong and able to humbly share their accolades with their team. A leader with this attribute will be respected by their team and will be honored even when they are not around. It is this respect that I strive to maintain amongst my community.
I have learned to express this in the following ways: 1) speaking with love and understanding; 2) listening with healing intentions and love; and 3) paying homage and honor to those who come before us.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
Many elders and ancestors have come before me and have mentored me in social justice work that I have dedicated the past 18 years of my life towards. Together with other transgender leaders in Hawai'i, we have proudly created safer access for healthcare for transgender and māhū communities.
To name a few of my mentors, I will name the kanaka leadership of Kulia Na Mamo. Ashliana Hawelu, Hinaleimoana Wong, Kaua'i'iki Olores' and Paige Peahi. These transwomen are our freedom fighters for transgender and māhū rights in Hawai'i since 2000 and have passed the torch on to our generation. I also have other mentors and advisors that have instilled the strong sense of advocacy in my voice. They are Melenie Eleneke, Harmony Brighter, and Maddalynn Sesepasara. They are educators and healers who have stood for transgender and LGB rights from as long as I can remember.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
conference
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
healthcare