The 2015 NQAPIA Conference in Chicago: A Photoblog

QAPI4BlackLives at NQAPIA

Team APIENC attended the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) Conference this year, which took place from August 6-9 in Chicago. Check out some reflections, photos, and experiences below!

Cam Bui, Volunteer, APIQWTC and APIENC
“The NQAPIA conference was a great place to meet people who are working on immigrant rights, racial justice, trans justice, family acceptance, visibility, and election issues across the nation. I met parents of LGBTQ folks. I met people who still had to stay in the closet and knew very few LGBTQ people in their community. I met people who still face violence and threats to their lives because of their identity. Altogether, it was a reminder that the AAPI LGBTQ experience is so diverse and that there are many ways to empower and uplift the AAPI LGBTQ community.” 

Allison Tse, Volunteer, APIENC
“I learned very applicable leadership skills, and it inspired me to think more about how I can use the skills I’ve learned across different spaces, both at work and various community organizations.”

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We were proud to represent with our staff, interns, volunteers, alum, and APIQWTC friends!


 


 

Surabhi, Summer Intern
“Growing up in a small town in Indiana, I knew a few API people and a few queer people, but the only place where I saw those identities intersect was in myself.  NQAPIA was an overwhelming showcase of the great diversity and power of intersecting queer and API identities. To see this many queer and trans APIs gathering (especially in the Midwest) to support each other and share their experiences was absolutely flooring.”

Missed our workshop? Catch the highlights:

 

Jean Kim, Volunteer, APIQWTC and APIENC
“To be in a space with over 350 queer API folks and allies and to have the opportunity to meet people from across the country to build networks and learn from each other is a rare thing. One of my favorite parts of the conference was meeting the API parents who fully support and love their queer kids. Not only that, they are also actively advocating for queer API issues on the behalf of not just their own children, but our entire community!”