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In The News:
Upcoming Iconic LGBTQ Pride Events In Asia 2024 For Rainbow Community
The world commemorates June as Pride Month, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community! As Asia strives towards becoming a queer-friendly destination, several countries host massive Pride events that make them wonderfully inclusive. Here⁘s a look at some of the most iconic Pride events in Asia, where you can experience the joy of celebrating freedom, identity and community. From electrifying parades to cultural experiences, find your perfect Pride event in Asia!
Thailand⁘s capital city will be draped in rainbow colours to celebrate the Bangkok Pride Festival . Organised by Narumit Pride and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the festival features iconic events like the Bangkok Pride Parade 2024, the Drag Bangkok Festival 2024 and the Bangkok Pride Forum 2024.
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For 35 years, New York City’s Asian American queer community has organized, resisted, and thrived. Their story is a microcosm of a nationwide movement that transformed queer Asian American activism, art, and acceptance across the nation.
Leading the charge were two prominent queer Asian organizations, Asian Lesbians of the East Coast (ALOEC – though no longer online, you can learn about ALEOC in this zine ) and Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York . They were joined by a diverse coalition of LGBTQ+ groups and allies who recognized the racism inherent in the play’s casting of white actors in Asian roles (“yellowface”) and its exoticization of Asian women. Their central question was a powerful one: How could these mainstream organizations claim to represent all LGBTQ+ communities while ignoring the concerns of their Asian members?
The most widely cited account of the coalition work on The Heat is On Miss Saigon Coalition describes Miss Saigon as the key fundraiser of the Lambda Legal Defense Fund and NYC LGBT Center , instilling city-wide mobilization against the announcement. What began as a peaceful protest in the form of a request became a series of demands for the play to not be performed in New York City in the name of queer organizing.
The protests began with peaceful dialogue and requests for change. However, when these efforts were met with resistance and a refusal to remove “Miss Saigon” from the program, the coalition escalated their actions. The initial request transformed into a series of demands aimed at preventing the play’s performance in New York City altogether.
The movement also found a platform in the media, notably in the May 1991 issue of Outweek magazine. This groundbreaking issue, titled “ Queer N’ Asian issue ” featured a cover story dedicated to the protests and the broader context of queer Asian activism. Bino A. Realuyo, co-founder of the Asian American LIterary Writers Workshop , and editor of The NuyorAsian Anthology: Asian American Writings About New York City (1999) reviewed the Queen N’ Asian issue, noting how it amplified the voices of queer Asian organizers, artists, and intellectuals, providing a much-needed space for nuanced discussions about race, sexuality, and representation within the LGBTQ+ community. The “Queer N’ Asian’ issue stands as a testament to the power of media in shaping social movements and giving voice to marginalized communities.
