The 2015 NQAPIA Conference in Chicago: A Photoblog
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.”
Sammie Willis from @APIENC talking about the dynamic potential of inter generational stories #NQAPIA2015 pic.twitter.com/MAekeVobi0
— NQAPIA (@NQAPIA) August 7, 2015
So proud and happy of Freedom Inc. for winning the Community Catalyst Awards at #NQAPIA2015! pic.twitter.com/Xbb98r7nDc — API Equality – N. CA (@APIENC) August 8, 2015
Willy Wilkinson “I’m going 2get elder on you” Dropping theirstorical knowledge of AAPI trans organizing #nqapia2015 pic.twitter.com/oJN2bA9OPs
— Alice Y Hom (@JustFundQueers) August 8, 2015
Our APIENC techies facilitating “Coming Out as Techie” #NQAPIA2015. Love their slides! pic.twitter.com/muw0IWnIPg — API Equality – N. CA (@APIENC) August 8, 2015
Surabhi teaches us how to edit Wikipedia! #nqapia2015 #dragonfruitproject pic.twitter.com/WPsXofNotC — API Equality – N. CA (@APIENC) August 8, 2015
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!”