The state of Hawaiʻi has established an advisory body to develop and improve the state’s interaction with its LGBTQ+ citizens in accordance with HRS 369.

The commission, which operates administratively under the Department of Human Services, is comprised of eight voting members that include:

•  Commission Chair – Kathleen O’Dell, Ph.D. (she/her) – representing the City and County of Honolulu
• Michael Golojuch Jr. (he/him) – representing the City and County of Honolulu
• Secretary (temporary) Joe Tolbe (he/him) – representing Maui County
• Finance Director Shanda Brack (she/her) – representing the Hawai‘i Sexual and Gender Minority working group out of the Department of Health
• Sandy Harjo-Livingston, Ph.D. (he/him/they/them) – representing the City and County of Honolulu
• Philip Steinbacher, Ph.D. (he/him) – representing Kaua‘i County
• Joseph “Rocco” Vick (he/him) – representing Hawai‘i County
• Richard Velasquez (he/him) – representing the City and County of Honolulu

The commissioners were sworn in by Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke on June 28, 2024. This date was selected by the commissioners as it commemorates the 55th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a significant date in LGBTQ+ history and efforts toward equality.

Powers and duties of the commission include creating public awareness and understanding of the responsibilities, needs, potentials and contributions of Hawai’i’s LGBTQ+ community; maintaining contacts with appropriate federal, state, local and international agencies concerned with the status of Hawaiʻi’s LGBTQ+ community; recommending legislative and administrative action on equal treatment and opportunities for members of Hawai’i’s LGBTQ+ community, and submitting to the governor and legislature an annual report with recommendations.

In addition to the eight voting members, the commission includes six ex officio, nonvoting members or their designees, including the superintendent of the Department of Education, the president of the University of Hawai‘i system, the director of Labor and Industrial Relations, the director of Human Resources Development, the director of Human Services; and the director of the Department of Health.

Photo credit: Office of Governor Josh Green