Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women and Transgender Community

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Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women and Transgender Community
AbbreviationAPIQWTC
PredecessorAPI Lunar New Year Banquet
Formation1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Websitewww.apiqwtc.org

Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women Transgender Community (APIQWTC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that provides opportunities for Asian & Pacific Islander queer women and transgender people to socialize, network, build community, engage in inter-generational organizing, and increase community visibility.

APIQWTC grew out of the API Lunar New Year Banquet, founded in 1987 by a small group of queer and transgender Asian women. APIQWTC was officially founded in 1999 by Crystal Jang, Koko Lin, and Trinity Ordona, as a new hub for established and new community groups to exchange news and coordinate projects in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1][2] Over time, it evolved from a network to a community organization.

In 2012, the co-founders reported that APIQWTC provides the space for an estimated 1,000 queer women and transgender individuals of Asian descent to gather and celebrate who they are.[3] APIQWTC is a space for "many queer women and transgender Asians [who] live in the closet in fear of losing their family and community."[3] Today, its membership boasts 800 members, possibly the largest Asian lesbian/transgender organization on the West Coast.[4]

APIQWTC hosts the following events and activities annually: Lunar New Year Banquet;[3] Summer Barbeque; Phoenix Award;[5] Community Artist award; Trips; Support for community LGBT organizations; Monthly Meet-ups. Every year, APIQWTC provides two scholarship to deserving API LGBT students pursuing higher education.[6] During the yearly banquet, an API LGBT organization is designated to receive a percentage of the annual banquet receipts to further its mission.

References

  1. ^ "APIQWTC December 1999". Brochure. 1999.
  2. ^ "15 Lesbians You Should Know About". www.advocate.com. 2018-04-26. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  3. ^ a b c Cassell, Heather (April 19, 2012). "Queer Asian group celebrates silver anniversary". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  4. ^ "News Briefs: SF State dean to receive Phoenix Award". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  5. ^ "Koko Lin to Receive Phoenix Award from Local API Group". Archived from the original on 2014-07-22.
  6. ^ "2015 Scholarship Applications". APIQWTC. 9 October 2014.
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