A VISUAL STORY TELLING PROJECT BY MARIANA MONASI FROM PACHAMAMA CREATIVE CELEBRATING MOTHERHOOD IN ALL ITS FORMS. A PROJECT OF THE HAWAIʻI LGBT LEGACY FOUNDATION, PRESENTED BY CENTRAL PACIFIC BANK.
“the thing that started me on the ʻshe/theyʻ just recently was at my gym…where things are always divided into men and women… and we were having an event…and suddenly there was just a lot of separation happening. when people look at me, they think ʻgirlʻ, [but] Iʻm not sucked into whatever that is.” — mariko
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“My parents had very traditional roles,” says Mariko Jackson, whose Japanese mother became a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints before marrying Marikoʻs father. Mariko, who works in administration in Kahuku, left the church after her divorce and now uses the pronouns she/they. Her child, Amaya, identifies as gender-queer. They met with Mariana in their home to be photographed and talk story, exploring how parenting has changed, the evolving culture of Mormanism, and how coming into their sexual and gender identies shapes their lives.
“Gender-queer seems less restricting than non-binary. [But] gender is made up; you can do whatever you want, really, it doesnʻt matter.” — Amaya
“Mentally I was definitely like ʻno, queerness is fine…they should be free to do what they wantʻ, but it wasnʻt necessarily as hitting home as it was [for] Amaya and myself, I guess.” — Mariko
“My parents had very traditional roles…and…a lot of expectations of what you had to do. Amaya puts their own pressure on themselves…” — Mariko
“I feel like I see a lot of times where kids and parents arenʻt really listening to each other. I just donʻt understand…like, if your child is telling you something…listen.” — Mariko