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Queer Rebels presents SPIRIT: A Century of Asian American Activism

San Francisco, CA, 5/10-5/11/2013: Queer Rebels (SF Bay) presents SPIRIT: A Century of Queer Asian Activism. Two-day extravaganza featuring 23+ artists and activists!

SPIRIT: A Century of Queer Asian Activism features performance, panel, and films, with the following movers and shakers!

Eli Coppola award winning poet…Ryka Aoki
Slam pioneer/ Def Poetry Jam artist…Regie Cabico
Experimental porneoake-maker…Yvette Choy
VONA literary fellow…Celeste Chan
Feminist fabulist filmmaker…Miki Foster
First conscientious objector of the Iraqi war and Veteran Artists Co-Founder…Stephen Funk
Absurdist artist…Laura Hyunjhee Kim
QWOCMAP Founder and Director…Madeleine Lim
Visibility Project Director and Maker…Mia Nakano
Performance artist and culinary adventurer…Genevieve Erin O’Brien
Scholar/mentor/activist of 40+ years…Trinity Ordona
Lambda Literary Award winner and Asian Arts Freedom School Co-founder… Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Experimental artist…Jai Arun Ravine
Award-winning filmmaker and scholar…Tina Takemoto
Shut Up White Boy and Kieu filmmaker…Vũ T. Thu Hà
And many more – visit our website for full line-up!

WHEN

Friday // May 10 (8:00pm – performances)
Saturday // May 11 (3:00pm – panel)
Saturday // May 11 (7:00pm – films)

WHERE

Friday // Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission St, SF
Saturday // Brava Theater, 2781 24th St, SF

TICKETS

$7-20
www.queerrebels.com

PRESS RELEASE

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing populations (45% growth from 2000-2010 per US Census). Rarely seen in mainstream arts or media, Asian Americans are viewed through racist tropes (see ‘Asian privilege’ by Vice magazine, Cloud Atlas, Tiger Mom, etc.). Queer Asian Americans are rendered invisible. While San Francisco’s population is 33-35% Asian, there are few arts spaces that highlight Queer Asian American stories.

Queer Rebels exists to fill that void. Founded in 2008 by KB Boyce and Celeste Chan, the production company highlights queer of color histories, connects generations, and amplifies our art for the future. Co-Director KB Boyce states: “we do this to energize our community through the arts, to create our own culture, and to inspire hope.”

Chan states: “In the late 90’s, I was really inspired by Lotus Roots, a national Queer Asian conference that drew hundreds in Seattle. I wondered why there wasn’t something like that in SF.” Chan, whose parents met in Berkeley, CA during the 1960’s, states: “Queer Asian Americans, and our rich histories of art and activism, are erased by model minority-stereotyping. I hope SPIRIT sparks a dialogue. I hope it renews our energy, creativity, and community.” Artist Ryka Aoki affirms: “…. there is a community to raise, stories to pass on, and a legacy to create.”

Chan states: “Why are these histories hidden? From the Asian avant-garde to 1960’s activists, Angel Island poets to Slam champions, we need to see Queer Asian histories come alive in art.”

MISSION & HISTORY OF QUEER REBELS

Formed in late 2008, Queer Rebels showcases queer artists of color, connects generations, and honors our histories with art for the future. www.queerrebels.com and www.facebook.com/QRProductions

Presented by API Cultural Center. Sponsored by Queer Cultural Center and the Visibility Project. With support from: Brava Theater, Open Meadows Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Red Envelope Giving Circle (in association with AAPIP, Gill, Horizons Foundation.)

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Atlanta, GA // Feb. 2nd // Register now!

Confirmed Date

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013

Location

365 Poplar Lane Way
Decatur, GA 30030

Are you eligible

This project is open to Queer Asian American Women, Gender non-conforming, and Trans people only. If you are a gay/bi asian american cis male, or queer person of non Asian/Asian American descent, please let me know asap. You can support us by donating, volunteering, or spreading the word.

About the shoot

Each session takes about 60 minutes. It begins with mellow interview questions like: Where were you born? How old are you? What’s your ethnicity? Why did you choose to participate? The second part still photography.

Image + video use

All media will be posted on the Visibility Project website, facebook, and Vimeo page, with other potential future uses such as media releases, articles, lectures, exhibitions, book, etc.

Can I use the images?

Participants will receive 3-5 images via email and can use them for their facebook pages, bio images, promotion, etc. HOWEVER, the photographer & project must receive photo credit, and commercial/publication use must receive pre-approval in writing. We also super appreciate links to our website and facebook pages.

Eventbrite - Visibility Project // Atlanta, GA
We work on a first come first serve basis, if you can’t make your session please let us know asap so other folks can participate!

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Creating Change 2013

I’m headed to Creating Change in Atlanta and am excited to get to meet some really amazing folks there. I’ll be scheduling a few shoots at the conference so please give me an email to participate in this awesome project.

mia (at) visibilityproject (dot) org

Click here for details about shoots!

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Austin, TX // Register now! Shoot date, Nov. 4th

Confirmed Date

Sunday, November 4th, 2012

Location

Austin Center for Design
Austin, TX

About the shoot

Each session takes about 60 minutes. It begins with a super mellow interview questions like: Where were you born? How old are you? What’s your ethnicity? Why did you choose to participate? The second part still photography. Minimalistic images against a solid background.

Image + video use

All media will be posted on the Visibility Project website and Vimeo page, with other potential future uses such as media releases, articles, lectures, exhibitions, book, etc.

Can I use the images?
Participants will receive 3-5 images via email and can use them for their facebook pages, bio images, promotion, etc. HOWEVER, the photographer & project must receive photo credit, and commercial/publication use must receive pre-approval in writing. We also super appreciate links to our website and facebook pages.


Click here to register

We work on a first come first serve basis, if you can’t make your session please let us know asap so other folks can participate! Register with an email address you check frequently, more information will be sent after you register.

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Colorlines: Spotlight on Mia Nakano, Redefining Queer/Asian/Female

Spotlight: Mia Nakano
Redefining Queer/Asian/Female
Julianne Hing JUL 1, 2009

When Mia Nakano worked as a photojournalist in Nepal, she observed workshops intended to educate people in the countryside about queer, but primarily lesbian, identities. “I would ask [the facilitators], ‘How do you define the word?’ And every person gave me a different answer,” Nakano recalled. Her questions sparked a debate. Translators argued over terms and interpretations.

Nakano, who is based in the San Francisco Bay area, began wondering about the language people use to define themselves, especially when it comes to race, gender and sexual orientation. And thus, the Visibility Project was born.

Along with collaborator Christine Pan, Nakano has photographed more than 40 people to create a collective portrait of female, trans and gender queer Asian Americans. The series is also tied to surveys and films that document people’s struggles to define their identities beyond a butch/femme dichotomy or an Asian/non-Asian split. The Visibility Project explores the relationships between who we are, what we see and the language we use to describe all of it along the way.

But Nakano had other motives too. “Most of the material on Asian-American queer folks is very intellectualized, heady theses projects that aren’t accessible,” she said. There was always so much text, but never the faces of the people featured in the writing. The Visibility Project was Nakano’s response to that, too—the chance to empower a community to speak for themselves.

For more information, check out visibilityproject.org

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