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
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