Casual rooftop happy hour for Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Asian-Pacific Islander Men in the NYC Area.
2-for-1 Drinks until 9pm!
Friday, July 25, 6pm – 8pm
Boxers HK, Rooftop Middle Terrace
742 9th Ave by 50th St
DowneTime is a confidential support and discussion group for queer, questioning, and transgender self-identified males in their teens and twenties who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander.
After the month of Pride, Downetime will be hosting a barbeque at the beautiful Lighthouse Park for folks to meet outdoors with great food and company. We will provide some BBQ ingredients (i.e. meat and veggies) but we hope everyone can bring something to share. Here are some suggestions: non-alcoholic drinks, BBQ ingredients, desserts, snacks, games, etc.
Saturday, July 26, 4:30pm
BBQ stove area at Lighthouse Park at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island
Take the F train to Roosevelt Island, then walk or take the red bus or Q102 to Bird S Coler Rdy/Hospital stop
The date of event may change if weather does not permit. If that happens, we will be notify everyone through Facebook and email two days before the event date.
Please RSVP and let us know of any dietary restrictions and receive event updates, email: downetime@gapimny.org
StoryCorps is a national oral history project that helps everyday people record, preserve and share their stories. They have a soundproof recording booth in New York City that provides an intimate setting where pairs can talk and reflect about their lives. You then have the choice to archive your conversation at the Library of Congress.
Most recently, StoryCorps launched the OutLoud initiative, which seeks to honor and preserve stories from the LGBTQ community and amplify the voices of those most often left out of the historical record. We hope to be able to preserve GAPIMNY’s stories as part of this important collection.
We are aiming to schedule a single recording date during the weekend of August or September. There will be 6 recording sessions available during that time. Find a friend or family to have a 40-minute conversational snapshot, and contact Ryan at rytshen@gmail.com to schedule your appointment.
Come to our 3rd General Meeting of the year. We’ll be joined by Don Kao, co-founder of GAPIMNY, who will present on the history of LGBTQ Asian Pacific Islander community in NYC. The presentation will include milestones, change makers, activism and other historical events that have shaped the LGBTQ Asian Pacific Islander community in NYC.
We’re also happy to partner with Ice & Vice who will be providing some yummy ice cream for the meeting.
Sunday, July 13, 4-6pm
Audre Lorde Project
147 W 24th St, 3rd fl
We had ~50 folks, including a married couple from China, a contingent from South Korea, and folks from Japan and Vietnam. We also had parents and siblings marching with us for the first time.
Also, thanks to people who marched at Trans Day of Action. With Q-WAVE and SALGA, we brought ~15 folks to come out in support of transgender rights.
Choice photos posted on our GAPIMNY Facebook page and our Meetup.com group.
GAPIMNY 35+ is meant for those who are Gay/Bi/Trans Asian/Pacific Islander men over 35 years old.
Join us for our July brunch!
Saturday, July 12, 1pm
Vynl
754 9th Ave by 51st St
We did interviews with Out.FM (Weiben Wang, Kevin Park and Dennis Chin)(It’s the 7th segment on the player) and Asia Pacific Forum!
This Friday, GAPIMNY members will join Trans Day of Action in NYC from 2-5 PM at Pier 45. Let us know if you are coming by emailing rsvp@gapimny.org. In this interview, we speak with Ryan Shen, GAPIMNY’s first transgender Co-Chair, to talk about his journey and why GAPIMNY continues to support Trans Day of Action.
Could you share with us a bit about who you are and your journey as a transgender man?
I’m Ryan Shen, I am co-chair of GAPIMNY. I’m also trans. As a transgender man, one of my greatest challenges is to have conviction in my gender identity. It’s challenging because society has denied the validity of transgender as an identity, society has many social expectations of men, and there’s a lot of talk about what’s in a man’s pants as the defining feature of his masculinity.
Another challenge is that I’m Asian American and my immigrant parents have imposed a lot of traditional family values and expectations on me. I have been struggling to have conversations with my parents because of my strained relationship with them and my limited fluency in Chinese, but I really want to resolve some of my conflicts with them. But not having the words to talk about being trans has been hard.
Where have you found resiliency and joy?
When I started my transition, at times I have felt that even my friends tested my conviction. Since then, I only hold close those who support me even when I am wavering through self-doubt — like my girlfriend who has challenged others very fiercely when they suggest that trans men are confused butches. I also look up to Laverne Cox and Janet Mock as “possibility models”.
What are some of the most pressing issues impacting people who are transgender today?
The trans community has been traumatized over and over by the loss of trans folks, especially trans women, to hate violence. The NYC Anti-Violence Project has alarming statistics about the number of trans women we have lost. And when the story makes it into the news, if it makes the news, the wrong name and gender are used to talk about the victim. Additionally, if trans people survive, they have to go through the legal system. We know that the legal system is biased against both transgender folks and people of color — more willing to criminalize or treating them more harshly — as we’ve heard in the case of CeCe McDonald.
This lack of respect for the lives of trans people also impact everything from access to education, employment, health care, restrooms and other public facilities.
Why should folks, particularly those who are cisgender, support Trans Day of Action?
Trans Day of Action is an opportunity to come together to demand that society change the treatment of the trans people of color community in a way that will impact community member’s lives.
To me, my friends, family members, and community members from groups like GAPIMNY who come out to support Trans Day of Action are saying to me, “I got your back.”
Join the LGBTQ Asian & Pacific Islander contingent, organized by GAPIMNY and Q-WAVE!
Our color theme this year is RED and SILVER! We’re happy to announce that the Poongmul Movement Builders will be joining us again this year.
Family members are especially welcome (let us know if they are coming). Allies are welcome as well, but we ask that allies respect that the contingent is specifically for and by the LGBTQ Asian & Pacific Islander community.
Sunday, June 29, 2014, 11:30am
39th St between 6th & 5th Ave
Enter from 6th Ave because 5th Ave will be blocked below 42nd St. Head out early to maneuver through the crowds and blocked streets!
Pride edition of Elixir, a casual happy hour for Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Asian- Pacific Islander Men in the NYC Area.
Friday, June 27, 2014, 6pm – 8pm
Boxers HK
742 9th Ave by 50th St
