Highlights of the conference included an opening reception with the only openly lesbian justice, Sabrina McKenna of Hawaii. The Asian American Justice Center (ED Mee Mou accepting), Congressman Mike Honda and community organizer Urooj Arshad received NQAPIA’s Community Catalyst Awards.
The Catalyst Awards are bestowed annually. Actress Tamlyn Tomita emceed the event.
From Chicago i2i, facilitator Joy Messinger and Core member Liz Thomson presented a workshop called “Expanding Families…” to share their adoptee stories as well as discuss how organizations can be more adoptee inclusive.
Additionally, there was a Midwest caucus that allowed LGBTQ API, Southeast Asian and South Asian folks to hear what is going on regionally, share solutions and communicate what NQAPIA can do to support.
The conference kicked off with a surprise visit from Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a panel of AAPI LGBT activists from around the country and a “flash mob” for justice choreographed by API Equality-Northern California.
NQAPIA’s last conference was in 2009 in Seattle, Wash., with about 250 attendees. The next conference will be in 2015, and it may be held in the Midwest.
NQAPIA (www.nqapia.org or www.facebook.com/NQAPIA) is a federation of LGBTQ Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander organizations. NQAPIA—a project of the Tides Center—seeks to build the capacity of local LGBT AAPI organizations, invigorate grassroots organizing, develop leadership, and challenge homophobia, racism, and anti-immigrant bias.
Chicago i2i will hold a beach social potluck Saturday, Aug. 11, in Rogers Park; the next general meeting open to all members will be held Tuesday, Aug. 14. Visit www.chicagoi2i.org for more information or e-mail chicagoi2i@yahoo.com. Text by Liz Thomson and courtesy of a press release; photos courtesy of NQAPIA