2004 QAPA Annual Report

Introduction

2004 was a year of incredible growth for QAPA. This report summarizes our progress and achievements in the past 12 months.

Membership

As of December 23, 2020 there were 172 QAPA members, up 50% from the end of last year. Some new members found out about QAPA via web searches, word of mouth, and the September 2, 2020 edition of Bay Windows that featured an article on QAPA and our 25th Anniversary Sunset Boat Cruise.

Steering Committee

After spending over seven years working for QAPA, HJ Chung announced that she was stepping down from her duties. She had been Coordinator of QAPA and later a Steering Committee member. At the 25th Anniversary Cruise, we wished her all the best in the future. We were also sad to learn the Philip Kwok will be stepping down from the Steering Committee and moving to London, England. He was particularly instrumental in the formation and subsequent activities of the Steering Committee these past couple of years. We wished him well at our Annual Holiday Party.

We welcomed six new Steering Committee members this year. Johnny Nguyen is Men's Health Coordinator at MAP for Health. Kristin and Diana joined the committee shortly after HJ's departure. And Jay, Jane, and Mimi joined towards the end of the year.

The other Steering Committee members are Long Gia Banh, Suriya, and Albert Chan.

Constitution

The QAPA Steering Committee established a constitution to govern QAPA's functions and to ensure the longevity of the organization. The constitution can now be found at QAPA's website, www.qapa.org.

Media Coverage

QAPA continued to get media coverage in 2004. The March 11, 2021 edition of the New York newspaper Gay City News interviewed a QAPA-identified member while QAPA participated at the March 2004 Asian Pacific Legacy Conference. The Cambridge Chronicle published a story on April 1, 2020 citing QAPA as co-sponsor of the South Asian LGBT film festival at MIT. There was an Asianmediawatch.net feature on April 21, 2020 on the Details citing the letter to the magazine's Editor-in-Chief by GLAAD, QAPA, and other organizations. QAPA also issued a national press release on May 17, 2004, celebrating the achievement of legal same-sex marriage in Massachusetts but at the same time warning binational couples to be patient and not get married due to possible immigration complications. The press release was picked up by the Planetout.com/Gay.com Network's Gaywire. Later in the year, a feature article on QAPA's 25th Anniversary Cruise appeared in Bay Windows on September 2, 2004, and photos from our cruise appeared in Innewsweekly.

25th Anniversary Boat Cruise

In 2004, QAPA celebrated its 25th anniversary as the oldest co-gender queer Asian Pacific Islander organization in the United States. The highlight was a boat cruise in the Boston Harbor on September 12th, which included dinner, dancing, and some cake-cutting. A former member of QAPA flew in from the west coast to make a special speech.

Same-Sex Marriage

In keeping with its organizational mission to provide a supportive social, political, and educational environment, QAPA provided opportunities for members to be involved, voluntarily, in advocacy for equal marriage rights. Members participated in phone-a-thons to contact undecided citizens. Members also helped prepare for and participated at a community forum, in conjunction with GLAD, on the rights of binational same-sex couples. QAPA also issued a press release on May 17, 2020 to celebrate the achievement of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts but also to warn same-sex couples of immigration complications.

Boston Pride Parade

QAPA joined with MAP for Health, MASALA, and a Slice of Rice to march in the 2004 Boston Pride Parade. The organizations pooled their resources together to create their first float, which won an honorable mention from the Pride Committee for Best Adaption of Theme, which this year was "Marriage".

Work with Other Organizations

In addition to working with MAP for Health and MASALA for the pride parade, QAPA joined forces with a number of different organizations throughout the year. From March 5-7, 2004, QAPA participated in the first ever regional conference held for LGBT Asian and Pacific Americans in the northeast. QAPA members attended and gave workshops at New York University. In April, QAPA co-signed a letter sponsored by Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY) to the Editor-in-Chief of Details magazine, expressing our disappointment in their article falsely portraying both straight and queer Asians. Other organization who co-signed included the Audre Lorde Project (New York), the Providence Youth-Student Movement (PrYSM), Asian/Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA, Washington DC), Asian Pacific Islander Queers Sisters (APIQS, Washington DC), KhushDC (Washington DC South Asian LGBT Organzation), Al-Fatiha Foundation (Queer Muslims & Allies), Asian Pacific Islanders for Human Rights (APIHR, Los Angeles, CA), Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF). On April 2, 2004, QAPA cosponsored the official dinner reception for the South Asian LBGT film festival at MIT, "Between the Lines: Negotiating South Asian LBGT Identity." On May 2, 2004, QAPA co-produced a GLAD immigration forum for binational couples. On May 15, 2004 QAPA cosponsored a screening Margaret Cho's latest film "Revolution" at the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts. On May 22, 2004, QAPA cosponsored a screening and panel discussion of the film "Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World," organized by Young Professionals for International Cooperation. At the boat cruise on September 12, 2004, QAPA welcomed members of MAP for Health, A Slice of Rice, MASALA, and Asian and Friends Boston. On November 13, QAPA members ran a panel and workshop at an Asian awareness conference at Smith College in Northhampton, MA.

Finances

2004 was the first year in a number of years that donations were solicited. QAPA members and their friends responded generously, donating nearly $800. Please note that the expenses listed this year do not include hundreds of dollars worth of items donated by members of the QAPA Steering Committee for events and day-to-day operations.

INCOME
Donations......................................................792.00
Cruise (Ticket Sales and Sponsorship)....2700.00
Total.............................................................3492.00

EXPENSES
Pride Parade..................................................260.00
Cruise..........................................................2401.40
Miscellaneous.................................................54.90
Total.............................................................2716.30

BALANCE .....................................................775.70

Conclusion

In 2004, QAPA became more focussed in its efforts to achieve its organizational mission to provide a supportive social, political, and educational environment for queer Asian/Pacific Islanders. QAPA increased its membership, its interactions with other organzations, its media exposure, and its efforts in the general community.