Asian/Pacific Gays and Friends of Los Angel is an ternatnal, non-prof social and tnal group tablished for Gay, Lbian, Bisexual, and Transgenr people who share an tert Asian culture.
Contents:
- GAY ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE
- GAPA BRGS GAY ASIANS TO THE LIMELIGHT
- GAY ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE (GAPA) THEATRE: CELEBRATG PRI
GAY ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE
Origally started as a social and muny support group for and by gay and bisexual Asian and Pacific Islanr men, GAPA’s purpose expand over the years to clu furtherg the terts of the GLBTQ+ Asian and Pacific Islanr muny. Gay Asian Pacific Alliance. The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) is an anizatn dited to furtherg the terts of gay and bisexual Asian/Pacific Islanrs by creatg awarens, by velopg a posive llective inty and by tablishg a supportive muny.
Gay Asian Support Network. The Natnal Black Jtice Coaln is a civil rights anizatn dited to empowerg Black same-genr-lovg, lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenred people. Trikone is an anizatn for lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people of South Asian scent.
GAPA BRGS GAY ASIANS TO THE LIMELIGHT
The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance was voted by the muny as this year's anizatn grand marshal, cidg wh s 20th anniversary of servg the gay and Asian muni. "The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance was found 20 years ago as a support group for Asian and Pacific Islanrs who had HIV and AIDS, bee at the time there weren't any health servic that addrsed the cultural and lguistic needs of queer Asians, " said Robert Bernardo.
"Over the years, the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance branched out and started havg other typ of programs. GAPA member Alan Quismor served as the group's cultural chair for three years, g mic, dance, and theater programs to help brg gay Asians and Pacific Islanrs to the limelight and overe stereotyp.
"When we were dog the theater project we nonted a lot of the bias the gay muny and the Asian muny, " Quismor said. "[As gay Asian men, ] we weren't seen as anythg more than fetish.
GAY ASIAN PACIFIC ALLIANCE (GAPA) THEATRE: CELEBRATG PRI
"Early on, durg the 1980s and 1990s, people believed gay Asians were immune to AIDS, " he said. "People felt AIDS was a gay whe disease, or a gay Ain Amerin disease, but Asians don't get . Now, GAPA works to prent posive imag of gay Asian men to both the Asian and gay muni, wh booths or floats at most major Asian street fairs, cludg the Filipo Fita, the Cherry Blossom Ftival and, of urse, Che New Year's Para.
"GAPA was the first gay group, perd �" not jt gay Asians �" to get volved the Che New Year's para, and has been volved sce 1994, " Bernardo said. Often, said Bernardo, GAPA enunters people who simply aren't aware that gay Asians exist. "Like when you're watchg Che TV or Filipo TV, whenever they show the gay [muny] San Francis, 's always gay whe men and whe lbians and not any queer people of lor.
The Filipo channel always lls me now, bee they want to talk to a real live, gay Filipo, " he add, lghg. We have a lour voice both the gay muny and the Asian muny.