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WASHINGTON D.C. – Local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) organizations will honor Gita Deane and Asian Pacific American (APA) Film, Inc. on May 6, 2006, during their seventh annual Pride and Heritage celebration. Deane, one of the lead plaintiffs in Maryland’s marriage equality case, Deane and Polyak v. Conaway, is being awarded for raising the visibility of A/PIs in the struggle for LGBT rights. APA Film, a D.C.-based organization, is being lauded for their proactive integration and representation of LGBT A/PIs in their programming, especially the annual D.C. Asian Pacific American Film Festival. The celebration will take place at Club Chaos (1603 17th Street NW) in Washington D.C. on Saturday, May 6, 2006 at 6:30 PM.
“The American public continues to understand LGBT individuals through the lens of the marriage equality fight and through movies like Brokeback Mountain, but LGBT issues exist across the spectrum of ethnicity, cultural heritage, and national identity,” said Theron Gilliland, Jr., Pride and Heritage Committee member and Secretary/Publicity contact for KhushDC, D.C.’s LGBTQ South Asian group. Gilliland continued, "We felt the time was ripe to acknowledge those within our own communities who have made contributions to LGBT A/PI visibility. Gita Deane’s courageous struggle for the recognition of all families and APA Film’s efforts to include all Asian/Pacific Islanders in the media arts is a testament to the growing visibility and empowerment of our communities.”
The Pride and Heritage celebration will also feature vibrant cultural performances by LGBT A/PI community members. This event is a collaboration of Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Sisters (APIQS), Asian/Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA), KhushDC, the D.C. Chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF-DC), with the support of DC Men of Asia Prevention Study (DC-MAPS).
“Pride and Heritage is not only a time when we ‘come out’ as LGBT and A/PI, but it is also when we come home, finding acceptance for who we are,” said Trang Duong, Pride and Heritage Planning Committee member and Co-Chair of APIQS. “Pride and Heritage is our opportunity to affirm our contributions and our presence within the LGBT and Asian/Pacific Islander communities—it is when we can loudly proclaim that we are here.”
For more information on the events or for sponsorship information, e-mail Info@DCPrideAndHeritage.org or visit the website www.DCPrideAndHeritage.org.
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APIQS is an organization for A/PI (Asian/Pacific Islander) lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning women in the Washington D.C. metro area, focusing on queer issues, education, community and sisterhood. Visit www.apiqsdc.org for more information.
AQUA is an all-volunteer organization serving the gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning members of the Asian and Pacific Islander (A/PI) community in the metro Washington D.C. area. AQUA strives to project a positive image of queer API men in the community through advocacy, education, outreach, and social events. Visit www.aquadc.org for more information.
KhushDC is a social, support and political group that provides a safe and supportive environment, promotes awareness and acceptance, and fosters positive cultural and sexual identity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) and additional gender or sexual minority South Asians in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Visit www.KhushDC.org for more information.
The mission of NAPAWF-DC is to build an Asian Pacific American women’s movement among those who believe in advancing social justice, and addressing the concerns and increasing the rights of APA women and girls. Visit www.napawf.org for more information. |
