Southeast Asian Queers United for Empowerment and Leadership (seaQuel) – empowers LGBTQ and heterosexual Southeast Asian youth allies with leadership development and mentorship so that they can organize community events that bring diverse communities together, foster coalition building, and address the intersection of oppressions.
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.
Trikone-Northwest is a vibrant, diverse group of individuals creating a social, supportive, educational, and political space for LGBTQ and differently-oriented South Asians and their family, friends and community.
Website
Contact: http://www.trikonenw.org/
Barangay LA is dedicated to providing a supportive environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning Filipinos; to meet and discuss concerns relevant to being Filipino and LGBTQ; to foster positive self-esteem; and to advocate on behalf of its members and the LGBTQ community of Los Angeles.
Website
Contact: info@barangayLA.org
Chinese Rainbow Association (CRA) is a gay Chinese social support organization based in Los Angeles, California. CRA was established by volunteers to meet the unique needs of the gay Chinese community in Southern California in 1996. Our mission is to promote friendship and unity, provide assistance, and foster social and political awareness among the gay Chinese. Most of our members are gay Chinese and many came originally from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other parts of the world. CRA is striving to become a home away from home to our members, especially to new comers (new immigrants and those newly out of closet). We have also been working with many local and international gay organizations to coordinate our efforts to advance our common causes over the years. CRA organizes a monthly meeting/party usually on the last Saturday of every month. We also sponsor other fun and interesting events. The official functions at the monthly meetings are conducted in Mandarin and English. We welcome gay Chinese and everyone else who supports our cause.
Website
Contact: cra_la@yahoo.com
Satrang is a cultural, social, and support organization providing a safe space to empower and advocate for the rights of the South Asian LGBTIQQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Intersex, Queer and Questioning) community in Southern California through education, networking, and outreach. Satrang works toward ending gender and sexuality based prejudice.
Website
Contact: contact@satrang.org
Women-of-Trikone is a list-serve for queer women of South Asian descent from the Bay Area interested in building a strong community, engaging in discussions, networking, sharing news and organizing/advertising events. Allies who identify as women and queer are welcome as well. Currently, we have over 150 members.
KUE (Koreans United for Equality) is an alliance of multigenerational straight and LGBTIQ Koreans. Mission: To increase the visibility of LGBTQI Koreans within the Korean community as well as the gay community. To provide resources in the form of information, news, announcements, and spaces for LGBTQI Koreans as well as the friends and family of LGBTQI Koreans. To promote education of LGBTIQ-related issues and dispel negative stereotypes of the LGBTIQ community within the Korean community.
The goal of GAPSN is to provide a supportive environment for Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender API Men on issues of significance to the Gay API Community.
Website
Contact: gapsn@gapsn.org
“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