Odaiko NE drummers

As for the MAP for Health contingent, the staff at MAP kicked some ass preparing the truck with flags from different Asian nations and banners. They were greeted by throngs of parade-goers as the MAP folks stuffed attendees’ hands with safe sex packets.

MAP truck

MASALA changed up their routine this year — in addition to the fabulous tricycle-pulled rickshaw, they also had rainbow colored hot boys marching in unison, and you can bet they got some cat calls and cheers as they made their way through the crowd.

MASALA

And last but not not least, QAPA people represented by carrying our fuchsia banners down the parade route (no easy feat when it’s windy!) We used the same banners last year, and they had such a good reception, we decided to use them again this year. Among the QAPA banner carriers was our own Kristin, who announced that she’ll be stepping down from the QAPA steering committee due to her relocation to SF. She’ll be sorely missed, but we wish her well and thank her for her countless hours of dedication to QAPA.

We'll miss you, Kristin!

Looking forward to Pride 2010!!!

Please add your comments to the blog! Here are some general questions for discussion, feel free to address them or add your own. We welcome all opinions and ideas!

• As a queer API, what kind of questions do you have regarding your health as LGBT person?
• Have you personally faced certain health obstacles stemming from the fact that you’re queer and/or API?
• What kind of resources, and information would you like to see?
• What do you think are some of the challenges we face as API LGBT patients?
• Any advice/strategies on empowering our community on the issue of health?
• Any interesting health research or data that you know of that you can share?

Thank you!

As some of you know, QAPA is working with Fenway Community Health on organizing an event for health issues for queer women of color. Somos Latinos, and QWOC are community organizations that will also be participating. I’ve been working behind the scenes with all the groups, and I can tell you it’s going to be awesome. First, it’s going to be strictly devoted to LGBT women minorities, and that’s special in itself. Also, it’s been inspirational working with women from different cultures and backgrounds, and learning about the similar and sometimes very different issues that affect us on both the health and social level. At QAPA, we want to create a respectful and social space for our API community, but we also recognize the importance of stepping out of our boundaries, and work together with other groups. How else are we going challenge discrimination, or racism, or stereotypes?

If you can come to the event, that would be fantastic (and you don’t HAVE to be a woman). We need all the API visibility we can get, and we know you’re out there…. Here’s the quick and dirty low down on the event:

Thursday, April 30th, 2008
6:30 PM – Early Bird Tour
7PM – DINNER
7:30-9:00 PM – Discussion, Resource Fair
At Fenway Community Health
1340 Boylston St, Boston

More info under our event tab.

We’re also going to do an informal community survey on your thoughts on API LGBT health, our needs and challenges. If we’re able to generate some responses, we’ll definitely compile your ideas and thoughts at the event. So, add your two cents, we want to hear from you!

Thanks!

Diana

We ate some very ethnic foods, ranging from samosas to lo mein, and caught up with each other’s activities throughout the past year. Among some of the QAPA veterans, we welcomed several new people whom we hope to see at upcoming events.

A warm thank you to everyone who came, and happy holidays to all!

Denver conference 9/5/2008 – 9/7/2008

I flew into Denver with a whole lot of open mind for the NQAPIA conference. National Queer Asian Leadership conference doesn’t happen that often and I was very happy to represent QAPA (Queer Asian Pacific Alliance the oldest queer Asian organization in USA. Was founded in 1979 and its almost 30 years and we are going strong). The long flight from Boston or getting outted in the airport because I was dragging big carry on that someone makes me gay? I never heard that before but it did really happen . You guys should ask Anouksha or Deepali who I met at the Airport and we headed to the hotel together.

My buddy Kit Yan from QAPA was there, you all know about him the famous slam poet and part of “Good Asian drivers”. I learnt a lot from Kit in the past few years I knew him, he opened a lot of doors for me and made me understand the plight and fights of the Trans and Trans Asian community. Amit Dixit from Boston MASALA was representing his organization and I alwasy appreciate his energy whether its Queer South Asian related activism or HIV Aids related fights.

This is a pan asian conference including Asians from the Main land, South East Asians, South Asians and the Pacific Islanders. This is another unique thing about the conference. Historically Asians and South Asian communities have their own organizations and there are few points or intersections but they survive and behave like two different communities.

The day we landed we had a reception and we met the local dignitaries. We met Gill Foundation executive director, his staff and local dignitaries. Not only it was an eye opener, it was heartening to see Queer and non queer local community leaders there to support the conference and the cause. Let me ask you this, how often do you hear about the National Asian Queer leadership conference or the Queer Leadership itself. Hats off to Glen, Ben, Mala, Andy and Gill foundation to make this happen. They worked so hard to make this happen and I am so proud of their achievement and leadership. This inspires me to do more for the community and the cause. Its not an empty promise and I am not known for that, If I commit, I am 200% or I am not there.

Members from the following organizations were represented there. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, GLAAD, QAPA, MASALA, Anushka Fernandopulle Consulting, NQAPIA, National Asian/Pacific American Womens’s Forum, Trikone Atlanta, Asian American Queer Women Activists, Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters, Gay Asian Pacific Support Network, API Queer United for Action, UC Santa Barbara, SALGA NYC, I2I:Invisible to Invincible, GAPIMNY, Shades of Yello, Providence Youth Student Movement, API Pride of Chicago, Astrea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training, Q-Wave, Queer Philly Asians, Trikone (SF), Satrang, South Bay Queer & Asian, API Equality-LA, AQUA, KHUSHDC, API EQUALITY, Audre Lorde Project, Dari Project, AL-Fatiha Foundation, Trikone-Norhtwest.

Day 2 was full of workshops, discussions and was a hectic day, followed by a nice dinner offsite. Some of the participants went for a club night and I was so tired and I didn’t feel like burning my midnight oil that weekend. The Austin trip few days later was in my mind and I didn’t want to exhaust myself and also I am feeling like a old man at 35. What the heck?

Day 3 was a half a day one and it everyone went back to their homes. It was hard to say goodbye, but its the fact and reality.

40 plus Asian queer leaders from different organizations and different walks of life were there. It was a unexplainable feeling of a big family and comfort that we are not alone in this fight. I looked around the room we had East Asians, South Asians, Pacific Islanders, South East Asians in the room. We were all connected by one mission and one cause. How often does this happen? its not that often and its the reality. Most of the representation was from East and West coasts, one from Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri each. This showed that we need to get those people energized and organized in those underrepresented states. Yes there are Queer Asians in those states but we have to find a way to help them get organized and be visible.

I don’t question the existence of “Long Yang” theme clubs across the nation, but I don’t think these clubs are serving the Queer Asian movement. These group in general reinforces the concept of Older White men and the younger Asian men. This is a stereotype as a Asian gay man, me and many of my peers are asked or forced to fit in. But many are resilient and wont settle for such arrangements and its wont work. Personally I don’t like to be exotified and looked upon as a exotic piece of meat vs a good productive human being who is civic minded and works for the community. I have a lot to offer and unless I get a chance I wont be able to show that side of me. As a minority we are expected to be a stereotype played by media and the community or exotified by the majority community. This is counter productive and doesn’t help us to assimilate it to the majority and treated as equals. Whether you have lived here all your life or you were adopted and raised by a parents from different race or you just got off the plane doesn’t matter, we are still Asians and we have to embrace that aspect of it and make changes that is necessary within the community.

There are many of the Asian queer organizations in this nation. We do a great job locally and take care of the local needs as much as possible. As local community organizations mostly we are volunteer based organizations. We pick our fight on various grounds and its very difficult path I say. We have limited resources at our disposal and very limited manpower to go with that. We always think about the local needs and we seldom work with other organizations within our local confines or nationally. Even if we say we do work with other organizations, its unstructured and very minimal. We reinvent the wheel so many times and its mind boggling. We all work as separate islands and we ought to get united, get organized and interface with the other groups and make the movement stronger and share our triumphs and failures.

This is a rare opportunity for us to get united nationally and do things from a national view point. Who we are locally shouldn’t influence working nationally. I think someone from Boston, NYC, SF, Chicago, Austin, Kansas are equally effective in this fight. We may have history behind us, but we have to think that we are one community and work towards achieving the feeling of a one big family and do what we are supposed to do. There is a lot to be accomplished nationally and we have a huge advantage of helping the GLBT community back in our home countries. They need us and if we can build a stronger foundation we can weather storms like Ike, Katrina and ones that may come tomorrow or the day after.

We can withstand the onslaught of White privilege, racial inequality, gender bias, right wing and many more that comes our way. If we stay united we can take the bull by its horn, otherwise we end up facing the Bull shit. I will let you choose what you like the Bull or the Bull shit?

Most exciting, MAP won second place for their adaptation of this year’s green theme with a carbon neutral presence (I’m pretty sure U-Hauls burn gasoline, but who’s counting?) MASALA was pretty green, though, with their leg powered rickshaw as was QAPA who was hoofin’ it the whole way. Any way you slice, it, congratulations to us! Second place! Here’s the blurb:

With so few parade participants embracing this year’s theme, the Pride Committee offered just one runner up award for best theme adaptation instead of its usual two. The second place award went to the joint contingent from Massachusetts Asian and Pacific Islanders (MAP) for Health and the Massachusetts Area South Asian Lambda Association (MASALA). MAP and MASALA had a carbon neutral presence in this year’s parade, combining a virtual float — a group of marchers surrounded by four poles connected with hanging strips of fabric — and a rickshaw.

The Truck

Us with Sam Yoon!

I’d say this one was of the best Prides so far. By the time I arrived at the staging area, MAP and Asian Impact were already loading up the truck with the candy, water, and packets. Obviously, because we were actually in the parade, it was hard to see the front and tail end of it, but from what we saw around us, the participants were revved up, in costume, and ready to rock.

City councilman, Sam Yoon stopped by to say hi and take a picture. He told me his daughter’s name was Mimi too, and I said, “Oh, then she must be very pretty.” Heh heh.

Banners

Once the horns sounded, the parade was off, and QAPA, MAP, AI, and Masala were on the move. Our banners were raised high and the fuchsia really made them stand out — they looked awesome. All our volunteers (including Scooter) were decked out in the sashes and bandannas that Ellen had made and my only regret was that she wasn’t at Pride to see them in action.

There was so much energy from the crowd. They didn’t even know what we were passing out, but they still wanted it! Sex-packets and Starburst were stuffed into people’s eager hands. We were cheered and whistled at; we really felt the love that day.

Scoots on the move

I dare say the star of the show was our mascot, Scoots, who displayed her rainbow streamers with pride. As we blazed the parade route, I heard (gay) men, women, and children squeal when they saw Scoots approaching. It was sheer madness!

Words don’t do QAPA’s Pride experience justice, so try this video on for size:

I have a new job at Bentley, which is worlds better than my old job. I especially love the fact that Bentley is marching in Pride and that they have an LGBT organization for faculty and staff. I’m still facilitating the Coming Out Support Group at the Cambridge Women’s Center, which I think is going well, except that summer seems to be its slow season. If anyone is interested in coming, I highly encourage it!

We’ve been missing Albert, but are glad to hear that his acting career is ramping up. In other mentions, congratulations to Jay who has just finished his law degree!

All of us are really looking forward to Pride and are committed to making it one of the best ever!