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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2001)
July 20. 2001 GROUPS They're here, they're queer, they're Asian Diverse group finds commonality in challenges by P eter Z uckerman T he dragons snout zigzagged from one side of the street to the other like a drunken driver. Its flaring ears swept past the crowd, and the rainbow tail inflated in the wind and billowed up and down in long ripples. But 1 bet you weren’t staring at the dragon. 1 bet you were scoping out those hottie A sian queers hoisting the beast up on wooden poles during this year’s Pride parade. But who are they? During the past 10 years A sian and Pacific Islander Lesbians and G ays has metamorphosed from a political organization into a zany social group that sometimes stretches out to defend against the latest Lon M abon attack. A t one o f their get-togethers, while gorging on home-cooked A sian barbecue or talking over dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, you might encounter a whole salad o f people: ther apists, marketers, high-tech wizards, chefs, social workers, teen-agers and retired seniors. Their ethnicity ranges from C hinese to Viet APLG roars along the Pride 2001 parade route namese to Laotian to, yes, Caucasian— anyone interested in A sian culture may join the group. However, most of the members have— or want to have— A sian connections. G o to an A P L G event and you also might learn a few things. Maybe you’ll find out homo sexuals in eastern India get punished by death. Perhaps you’ll talk to the Moroccan man who watched four queers get run over by a steam roller toe to head. Internationally, Asian culture consists of at least 30 different groups, and many o f them do not support queers. >• •. v;: Almost all o f them lack gay role models. A P LG helps fill that need and can inspire pride in both one’s heritage and sexual orientation. “As Asian and Pacific Islanders, we know what it’s like to be raised that way,” A PLG president Terry Ycasas confides. “Sometimes there are these moments where I say, ‘I know what you mean,’ and nothing else needs to be said.” T h e group provides differ ent kinds o f support. “It gives a gay person who’s not out a chance to be him self before he goes back to his family and deals with it there,” member Meei Lum states. “T he group invites people to be open and direct with each other.” A P LG also respects those Asians who want to be closeted. For them, “It’s a refuge, an oasis where you can take a breather,” explains John David, a board member and the designer of many recent phenomenal Pride floats. “You talk to others of your culture who have already been down the path you’re going on. You don’t have to explain everything about parents and religion— it’s already com mon knowledge. It’s a place where you can build an understanding and trust that’s invalu able, where you’d otherwise feel alone.” During A P LG events food often serves as a springboard for other social activities. Afterward you might watch the latest Jackie C han flick or explore the Imperial Tombs of China show at Portland Art Museum. Perhaps you’ll play a get-to-know-you game involving writing down unknown facts about yourself. O r you might participate in a white elephant gift exchange. During its annual camping trip, the group white-water rafts down the Deschutes River. It usually commands four rafts and, according to David, way too many water cannons. APLG also plays host to a Chinese Lunar New Year dinner that attracts between 50 and 60 revelers. People join the group for a variety of rea sons. Som e are looking for support while they work on discovering themselves. Others go for the networking possibilities, hope to make a love connection or just enjoy building extrava gant floats. T h e laid-back atmosphere o f their gatherings provides fertile ground to sprout new friendships. “A lot of it’s about having good, simple fun,” Ycasas re- * marks. “There’s a...kinship, a bonding you might not other wise have within the gay and lesbian community.” JF1 Those interested in joining ASIAN a n d P a cific I slander L esbians AND G ays can call 503-299-0/ 20 or e-mail aplg_pdx@yahoo.com. i PACIFIC ÏSUNDIR " Noel (left) with float designer extraordinaire John David í. _ Inset: APLG president Terry Ycasas (left) with Connie; members gather for a holiday party and show their pride ■'> , nò* We'ye «AH Me kit Zuttn* pull cva n eel. M ake Bender Properties your real estate hom e. Put your feet up and relax! Details are our business. You w o n’t lift a finger as w e attend to every aspect of buying or selling your h o m e -e v en the lit tle chores that others sw eep under the rug. And successful? 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