Gay Asian Pacific Alliance

Gay Asian Pacific Alliance
Formation 1988 (1988)
Headquarters San Francisco, CA, U.S.
Region
United States
Chairman
 Michael T. Nguyen
Vice Chairman
 Thai Lee
Website GAPA.org

Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, sometimes GAPA,[1] was incorporated in February 1988 as a social support group for gay and bi Asian Pacific Islander (API) men.[2]

In 1994, GAPA participated in the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco's Chinatown District, wearing sweatshirts with the phrase "We are one family" written in Chinese. Members of GAPA carried a 25-foot Lavender Godzilla.[3]

Each year since 1988, GAPA has produced Runway, a campy pageant that crowns the next Mr. and Miss GAPA[4] who act as representatives of GAPA.[5]

In 2017, GAPA Runway took place at Herbst Theatre while a small collection of white supremacists was being run out of San Francisco.[6]

Current GAPA Chair, Michael Nguyen, explains how GAPA's purpose has broadened to advocate for anyone within the LGBTQ API community in the Bay Area.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, 2018. http://www.gapa.org
  2. ↑ Gregory M. Herek, Beverly Greene, May 9, 1995. AIDS, Identity, and Community, SAGE, ISBN 0-8039-5360-7 (cloth), ISBN 0-8039-5361-5 (paper), also available at https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vYE5DQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA115&dq=%22GAPA%22+Gay+Asian+Pacific+Alliance&ots=rwnZ2BNalw&sig=Aar2ousHCz9eqgmp2XiS4UZ1Dvs#v=onepage&q=%22GAPA%22%20Gay%20Asian%20Pacific%20Alliance&f=false
  3. ↑ Chiou-ling Yeh, 2008. Making an American Festival: Chinese New Year in San Francisco's Chinatown, ISBN 978-0-520-25351-3, also available at https://books.google.com/books?id=7RwBDcc4CM8C&pg=PA174&dq=%22GAPA%22+Gay+Asian+Pacific+Alliance&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR9_qaicXaAhXI5lQKHYqAAiUQ6AEIQjAG#v=onepage&q=%22GAPA%22%20Gay%20Asian%20Pacific%20Alliance&f=false
  4. ↑ Hua, Vanessa, SFGATE.com, San Francisco Chronicle, (2001). Storming the Stage / Pageant is gay Asians' chance to bust out, available at https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/STORMING-THE-STAGE-Pageant-is-gay-Asians-2900371.php
  5. ↑ Junn, Alex (2018). Elders through the lens Mr. GAPA available at http://efniks.com/elders-through-the-lens/2018/2/16/elders-through-the-lens-mr-gapa
  6. ↑ Spotswood, Beth, San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 30, 2017. LGBTQ Asian Pacific Islanders get a splash of pageantry available at https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/LGBTQ-Asian-Pacific-Islanders-get-a-splash-of-12162019.php
  7. ↑ Bajko, Matthew S. Bay Area Reporter, Mar. 9, 2017. Gay API group welcomes patent attorney as new leader available at https://issuu.com/bayareareporter/docs/march_9_2017
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