Powerful emotional intimate portraits fill the pages of this retrospective of the Visibility Project. Visible Resilience is a true reflection of the queer Asian American Pacific Islanders. It is focused on uplifting the experiences and nuances of women, transgender, and gender nonconforming communities. Blending self identification around gender, sexuality, cultural, racial, and ethnicity in cities throughout the US.
Founded in 2002, Hyphen is a nonprofit news and culture magazine that tells the stories of Asian America with substance, style and sass.
FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color in New York City. We develop politically conscious leaders who are invested in improving ourselves and our communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and cultural expression through arts and media. FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of social justice movement leaders who are dedicated to ending all forms of oppression.
Our mission is to promote unity & strength among the Polynesian/Pacific Islanders Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender community. (LGBT) To provide support and guidance to our youths regarding sexual orientation and how it is viewed within the Polynesian/Pacific Islanders culture. To provide awareness to the LGBT, Polynesian/Pacific and greater community on issues regarding the prejudices and difficulties LGBT Polynesians/Pacific Islanders face and to propose potential solutions. To provide education regarding the various Polynesian/Pacific Islanders cultures and the difficulties of assimilation into the United States society without losing their heritage. Provide a positive, life-affirming experience for people affected and infected by HIV. To offer a referral service to Polynesians/Pacific Islanders to help them address problems they face as recent immigrants to the United States. To share our culture with the greater community through traditional songs and dance. To Increase awareness and knowledge about the services and programs offered by the benefiting organizations.
“I’ve struggled with gender my entire life but I always pushed it to the back of my mind in fear of the backlash from my family and friends; last year I began to address my struggles. I embarked on the journey to discover who I am, I yearned for a role model or just someone that understood my personal struggles, which were very specific. I was negotiating gender identity combined with a Vietnamese family and cultural background. Because I was born and raised in Kentucky, it was challenging to find people or resources in my community. Even searching online with an abundance of resources for trans folks, it was challenging to find information on being Asian and trans. I felt very isolated.
As I started meeting more trans and gender diverse Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs), I began hearing similar narratives to my own. We felt lonely and isolated. I realized that I could continue looking for a role model or I can be that role model just by putting myself out there. What better way than through YouTube. So, I asked a few of friends that I knew felt similarly, and transAPIvoices was created.”
transAPIvoices is a collaboration channel of trans and gender diverse Asians and Pacific Islanders from all over the U.S. This channel is for to us share narratives and experiences navigating and negotiating our identities. We created this online space because of the difficulty finding narratives similar to our specific experiences being trans/gender diverse and API. We hope this channel can be used as a tool, to create a support system and community, and to show other trans and gender diverse APIs that you are not alone.”
— Jayden Thai // Founder transAPI Voices + Visibility Project Participant in 2012
The Asian Pride Project (APP) aspires to foster greater visibility, pride, acceptance, unity, and harmony for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asians & Pacific Islander (API) people in our families, cultural communities and beyond, no matter where we are! We believe in the power of sharing, connecting, and relating to give API families and communities the support they need when struggling with the challenges of our sexual and gender identities in the API cultural context. APP is led by a small group of dedicated and passionate leaders of New York City’s Asian American LGBT organizations, including Q-Wave — an Asian and Pacific Islander group for those who identify as lesbian, female bisexual, or transgendered, GAPIMINY — the Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York, and SALGA-NYC — the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association of New York City.
Founded in 1993, Qcc is a multiracial community-building organization that fosters the artistic, economic and cultural development of San Francisco’s LGBT community. We implement our mission by operating programs that commission and present Queer artists, that promote the development of culturally diverse Queer arts organizations and that document significant Queer arts events taking place in San Francisco.
By presenting, exhibiting, screening and documenting queer artists’ work, Qcc contributes to the development of a multicultural perspective on the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender experience.