New England / BostonMedia
New England / BostonMedia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Albert Chan, Philip Kwok, QAPA Spokespersons
Phone: (617) 429-5137
BOSTON, Mass. - May 17, 2020 - The Queer Asian Pacific Alliance (QAPA), the oldest Asian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization in the United States, is very excited that same-sex marriage has finally become a reality in Massachusetts. But while May 17th is a milestone for many same-sex couples, not every couple in Massachusetts has the option of getting married.
"It's a joyous occasion when same-sex couples can have their love and commitment to one another recognized in the same way as heterosexual couples," said Lin Lin, a QAPA member. "Unfortunately, what many people don't realize is that marriage is still not an option for same-sex couples in which one partner is an American, and the other is a foreigner."
Gay marriage is not federally recognized, so gay couples do not receive the same immigration benefits as straight couples. According to a warning issued by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), foreign nationals should not marry without consulting a competent immigration attorney. In some cases, marriage could cause immigration problems, not fix them.
Since a number of QAPA members are foreigners, QAPA is experiencing this problem firsthand. "I've been dating my boyfriend coincidentally since May 17th of last year," said Albert Chan, QAPA's spokesperson and a foreign graduate student. "The topic of marriage has come up between us, but we realize that our situation is complicated by the fact that he's an American citizen whereas I'm not. We hope that someday all same-sex couples can get married."
RESOURCES:
A warning issued by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) for same-sex binational couples is available at http://www.glad.org/Publications/CivilRightProject/Binational_Couples_Warning.shtml
An abridged Chinese translation of the GLAD warning is available at http://www.qapa.org/binationalMarriage.html
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Founded in 1979, QAPA has been committed to providing a supportive social, political, and educational environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women and men of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
QAPA has over 100 active members in the New England area and many former members around the world. Members come from numerous cultural backgrounds.
Our website is http://www.qapa.org
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April 1, 2020
Daniel Peres
Editor-in-Chief
7 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
To the Editor:
Last month, we convened more than 400 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian Pacific Americans from across the nation to challenge the invisibility, isolation, discrimination and stereotyping of our community. How convenient to now have Details magazine (April 2004) to clearly demonstrate the intersection of racism and homophobia.
"Gay or Asian?" by Whitney McNally, page 52, was an absurd and tasteless play on worn out stereotypes of both the LGBT community and East Asian cultures. It demeaned all gay men as sexaholics, Asians as exotic chattels from far off lands, and Asian men as passive and effeminate.
Most distressing, it suggested Asian men cannot be both gay and Asian. Or that we are both and therefore should be mocked. There are so few positive images of gay Asian men in the media. In the face of your "Gay or Asian?" feature, we proclaim that we are proud to be gay and Asian.
LGBT Asian Americans are facing challenging times. We are fighting for the rights of immigrants, for the right to marry, for the right to be free from profiling, intimidation, and harassment. And now we are fighting your silly and cheap attempt at humor that encourages ignorance and disrespects three classes of people who have experienced a history of discrimination, Asian Americans, gays and lesbians, and gay Asian men.
We demand dignity and real efforts to ameliorate the harms that McNally's piece and your magazine created. We ask not only for a retraction and apology, but also suggest that you include features and articles that explore the complexities of being an LGBT person of color rather than simplistic caricatures of minorities that are offensive in nature and damaging in effect.
Sincerely,
Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY)
Audre Lorde Project - New York
Queer Asian Pacific Alliance (QAPA) - Boston, MA
Massachusetts Area South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (MASALA)
Providence Youth-Student Movement (PrYSM)
Asian/Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA) - Washington, DC
Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters (APIQS) - Washington, DC
KhushDC - Washington DC South Asian LGBT Organization
Al-Fatiha Foundation (Queer Muslims & Allies)
Asian Pacific Islanders for Human Rights (APIHR) - Los Angeles, CA
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Albert Chan, QAPA Spokesperson
Phone: (617) 429-5137
Website: http://www.qapa.org
BOSTON, Mass. - Dec. 1, 2003 - The Queer Asian Pacific Alliance (QAPA), the oldest Asian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization in the United States, has positioned itself as a media and public resource on the implications of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's marriage decision on the Asian American community.
Although a person of Asian heritage was not among the seven plaintiff couples, QAPA fully supports the decision of the Court. "The decision affects all persons in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, advancing civil rights for people across races and genders," said Albert Chan, QAPA's spokesperson and an MIT graduate student.
QAPA is leveraging its experience in the Asian American community and its knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues as they relate to people of Asian heritage to encourage other groups and individuals in the Asian American community to speak out in favor of the Court's decision. "Amongst us are immigrants and daughters and sons of immigrants seeking freedom from oppression and liberty. The Court's decision is an expression of this country's legacy of individual liberty," said Leah Eckelberger, a member of QAPA.
Founded in 1979, QAPA has been committed to providing a supportive social, political, and educational environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning women and men of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
QAPA has over 100 active members in the New England area and many former members around the world. Members come from numerous cultural backgrounds.
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Brookline TAB
Cambridge Chronicle
Chronicle (WCVB-TV 5)
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Sampan (Boston area Chinese-English Newspaper)
