GAPIMNY

Location:
New York New Church
114 E 35th Street
New York NY 10016

Date/Time: November 16th, 2013; 1:30pm-4:30pm

Are you cisgender and:
You want to be a better trans ally? You don’t know what terms like “trans” or “cis” mean? Don’t know how to stand up for your trans friends or loved ones?

Join us for this trans allyship workshop. Using a curriculum developed by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, we will help participants:

-Get in touch with their own gender stories
-Gain a better understanding of the experience of trans folks
-Make (or renew) their commitments to take regular actions as allies to friends, loved ones and strangers in the trans community

NOTE: This training is designed for people NOT on the trans sprectrum. Participants need to be safe to make mistakes and be vulnerable about their gender. We lovingly ask our trans siblings to opt-out of this training. If you are interested in organizing space for trans folks, let us know! E-mail gapimny@gapimny.org if you have any ideas, we’d love to hear them!

Hosted by Q-WAVE, SALGA, and GAPIMNY

GAPIMNY’s Last General Meeting (GM) of the year and DINNER

RSVP: https://www.artful.ly/store/events/1832

GAPIMNY General Meetings (GM) are a confidential space open to gay, bisexual, queer and questioning Asian men and transgender folks.

Join us for our last GM of the year! Meet new folks in the community and learn how you can help empower the queer and Asian community in NYC! And join us afterwards for dinner.

LGBT Center
208 West 13th St, Rm. 302
New York, NY

4-6 PM General Meeting;
6-8 PM Post-GM Dinner

At this GM, we’ll share our stories in honor of National Coming Out Day and we’ll close out with a session on micro-aggressions. Ever felt a little irked by someone’s comment? Like, “All Asians look the same!” Let’s talk microaggressions: what are they, what to do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microaggression

Afterwards, we will have a post-GM dinner in the area which is open to gay, bisexual, queer and questioning API men and transgender folks, their family and intimate partners. Be sure to RSVP so we know you are coming.

LGBT Center is wheelchair accessible.

Happy National Coming Out Day 2013!

Letters of strength and resilience from the GAPIMNY community:

13 Reasons to Support GAPIMNY

It’s 2013 so we thought we want to start the week by listing 13 reasons why you should support GAPIMNY by coming out to our Sunday Funday fundraiser this Sunday at Vlada Lounge from 4 – 6 PM!

If you can’t make it on Sunday, make a donation instead:

#1 - GAPIMNY played a lead role in organizing this year’s LGBT contingent for the Manhattan Lunar New Year parade, with approximately 75 marchers. 2013 was the 4th year with a LGBT contingent and GAPIMNY helped continue that tradition.

#2 - GAPIMNY challenged homophobia and transphobia in the Bollywood-themed musical Bunty Berman Presents. Activists from GAPIMNY helped pass out flyers during the musical’s run and was able to meet with producers to talk about the impact of hate violence on our communities. Producers issued a public apology.

#3 – Because GAPIMNY makes sure that queer Asian voices are represented in issues that impact our community! GAPIMNY member Jason Tseng made sure his story was represented at an immigration town hall organized by the MinKwon Center for Community Action.

#4 – Because we’re HOT and we know it!

#5 – I mean, really, where else will you see signs like this?

#6 – We are one of the only few organizations that convene young LGBT API folks in NYC for peer-support groups to help with coming out and dealing with issues of racism and homophobia.

#7 – LGBT organizations receive 0.7% of total foundation money. And LGBT organizations for and by API organizations only get 0.2% of that money. Our work relies on individual donors like you and your money goes directly to our programs.

#8 – Because we help lift the stories of API parents of LGBT folks in languages that our parents understand fully.

#9 – Because we’re supporting LGBT activism abroad. In 2013, we met with college students from Japan to discuss out work. And in 2011, we’ve supported activism in Hong Kong against ex-gay conversion therapy.

#10 – Because we’ve hosted 20 events this year as an all-volunteer organization.

#11 – Our community is a testament to diversity. Community is family and GAPIMNY is like family!

#12 – We’re training folks on how to organize, lead discussions and plan events, free of charge!

#13 – Because being queer taught us to see our connections with other communities. GAPIMNY is a vehicle by which we express solidarity with other marginalized communities and challenge racism, homophobia, transphobia and much more together.

Save the Date: GAPIMNY’s Sunday Funday Fundraiser

Save the date for GAPIMNY’s fundraiser, Sunday Funday!

Sunday, September 15, 2013, 4pm – 6pm
Vlada, 331 W 51st St

Tickets:
Online $15 non-members / $5 members
Door $20 non-members / $10 members
Available here: https://www.artful.ly/store/events/1638

We’re also looking for volunteers! Please include your name and email in this:
http://doodle.com/8fqiauynw9qsgkpa

GAPIMNY at Chillin’ and Grillin’

GAPIMNY is co-sponsoring Audre Lorde Project’s 15th annual community BBQ. Chillin’ & Grillin’ is an annual BBQ and community event that celebrates the diversity of the LGBTSTGNC People of Color community and unites its various groups for summer FUN!

Dennis, the GAPIMNY Chair, will be at the BBQ. If you want to find him between the free food, drinks, and games (Chillin’ & Grillin’ Runway, flag football, human Bingo, mummy contest, maybe a water balloon toss, and of course Kids and Adult Pinata), reach him at (609) 954-2111.

GAPIMNY is looking for volunteers for tabling, outreach, hosting games, and people to bring some dishes. Please contact dennis.c.chin@gmail.com.

Saturday, August 10, 2013, 12pm – 6pm
Picnic House South, Prospect Park, Brooklyn (you can enter at 5th Street & Prospect Park West)
[More info] [Facebook event]

DowneTime End-of-Summer Meet-up

DowneTime End-of-Summer Meet-Up

With the heat wave gone for now and Fall now fast approaching – come to GAPIMNY’s young adult group to make new friends and chill out before the summer ends! Free-flow discussion will be accompanied by light snacks and refreshments.

This event is open to high school-aged and college-aged youth who are Asian Pacific Islander, identify as gay, bisexual, queer, trans or questioning, and identify as male. Recent graduates in their early 20s are welcome as well. Identities of all participants are kept strictly confidential.

For those who may need a MetroCard to travel to the meeting location, limited transportation reimbursements are available.

Tuesday, August 13, 6:30-8:30pm*
APICHA Community Health Center
400 Broadway (enter 70 Walker St)
RSVP by replying to this email

*Free confidential HIV testing available 4pm – 6:30pm at APICHA. Folks can email ltantay@apicha.org to schedule an appointment during that time block.

Started in September 2007, DowneTime is a confidential support and discussion group for queer, questioning, and transgender folk in their early 20s who identify as Asian and male. DowneTime aims to create a safe space to discuss issues and shared experiences relating to identity, community, and activism. DowneTime is part of its parent organization, GAPIMNY (Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York).

7/21 – GAPIMNY Post-Pride General Meeting and dinner:

GAPIMNY General Meetings (GM) are open to gay, bisexual, queer and questioning Asian men and trans folks.

RSVP for the GM and the dinner!

June was a whirlwind of a month with Pride, the repeal of DOMA, and a slew of other impactful moments for our community. With greater visibility of LGBT folks, we have seen backlash, sometimes even violent. How has violence impacted our lives and how can we defend ourselves and others against all forms of violence?

Come out to our GM and get to know the community in a safe, supportive space! Light refreshments will be served.

ALSO, before the meeting from 2pm – 4pm, GAPIMNY is partnering with APICHA to host free HIV/STI/Hep C testing. Email ltantay@apicha.org to get tested and get a free $10 Starbucks gift card. And, if you’d just like to come early and hang, that’s cool too!

Sunday, July 21st, 2013, 4pm – 6pm
APICHA Health Center
400 Broadway [Entrance on 70 Walker St]
New York NY 10013

APICHA is wheelchair-accessible.

Questions? Email us at gapimny@gapimny.org

Letter to the community — by GAPIMNY Co-Chairs 2013

June 28, 2013

It’s been a roller coaster of a week. There is no doubt that the victories we experienced this week would not have been possible without the strength, resiliency, visibility and activism of our community. But we are reminded by the defeats that there is work to be done.

First, the victories:

We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA and Proposition 8. Although some questions remain, the Court’s decision paves the way for same-sex couples to share in the same rights as straight couples.

That decision matters for GAPIMNY member Jason, whose partner Alex is Chinese Canadian. Alex recently came out to his parents, who did not take it well, so returning to Canada was no longer an option for him. With DOMA out of the way, Jason and Alex have a way to keep their family together through the spousal recognition process.

That decision matters for GAPIMNY member Ritchie and his fiance Will. After nearly eight years of being a couple, Ritchie and Will decided to get engaged after marriage equality passed in New York State. Because of the Court’s decision that ruled unconstitutional key sections of DOMA, Ritchie and Will will now have access to more than 1000 federal benefits that are critical for families.

These are real, tangible improvements to the lives of the members in our community and we are excited to see these gains.

But to us, our demands as LGBT APIs have never been limited to marriage equality. Rather, they’ve been informed by the multiplicity of the identities and experiences that we hold collectively and the links we have to other marginalized communities. Read the rest of this entry »

GAPIMNY’s Manhattan Pride Guide

GAPIMNY is going hard this weekend for LGBTQ and API pride, visibility and action. Here is what we’re up to:

Friday, June 28th – 9th Annual Trans Day of Action

[GAPIMNY voted to endorse]

2pm – 5pm
Christopher St. Pier (near corner of West Street and West 10th Street). Facebook event.
To join us, find Dennis at (609) 954-2111

Friday, June 28th – iji presents: Kulture

[an iji productions event with special discount for GAPIMNY members]

10pm – 4am
Club Hell’s Kitchen, 405 W 39th St. Facebook event.
$5 for PAID GAPIMNY members after midnight. Free before midnight.

Sunday, June 30th – GAPIMNY and Q-WAVE Heritage of Pride March

11am – 3:30pm
Meet at 39th between 5th and 6th Avenues. Facebook event.
To march and/or volunteer, sign up here.

Afterwards, join us at our Post-March Get-Together

3:30pm – 5:30pm
Grand Sichuan, 15 7th Ave S, New York, NY
RSVP here.