Earlier this month, GAPIMNY and QWAVE learned that the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department hired a “psychiatrist” with deep roots to North American “ex-gay” organization Exodus Ministries, to run a series of workshops for Hong Kong social workers on
“conversion therapy” and how to funnel queer youth to “christian therapists.” Claiming that homosexuality can be cured by “
prayers, counseling, and cold showers,” these quack psychiatrists seek to legitimize what every reputable mental health organization in America has deemed ineffective and dangerous.
We were inspired to learn that queer Hong Kong activists with a group called Rainbow Action mounted a protest of the workshops which garnered international attention. In response, LGBT activist Dan Choi helped mobilize thousands around the world, through a change.org petition, to oppose Hong Kong’s shocking decision to undertake what Rainbow Action calls “the first example of state-sponsored conversion therapy” in the world. GAPIMNY and QWAVE have decided to mobilize and stand in solidarity with our queer siblings in Hong Kong in their struggle to rid their government of state-sponsored homophobia.
GAPIMNY and QWAVE are holding a political action at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade on August 7th. We’re leveraging our relationship with community partners and media outlets to ensure that our Hong Kong siblings know that we stand with them. But in order to stage the best action we can, we’ll need your help to prepare for the event. Come to the event and help make signs, get the talking points, and make preparations for this momentous action.
8pm-10pm
Where: LGBT Community Center
208 W 13th Street,
New York NY
Read Rainbow Action’s press release
hereThis event is open to all
GAPIMNY Co-Sponsors with The Asian American Writers’ Workshop
Queer Border Crossings: Ching-In Chen, Rahul Mehta, Ronaldo Wilson, Kit Yan
Thursday, July 14, 2011, 7pm
Even as New York becomes the largest state to legalize same sex marriage, the queer body remains a point of contention in public policy and literature. In writing the queer body, its desires and representations, literary borders manifest themselves not only as gender, sexuality, and race, but also voice, form, and genre. To discuss queer approaches to writing, we invite Ronaldo Wilson, Rahul Mehta, Kit Yan, and Ching-In Chen to share their work and border-crossings.
Avant-garde poet Ronaldo Wilson will read from Poems of the Black Object, detailing the nitty-gritty of bodily fluids, illicit subcultures, and dream states to critique the objectification of the black queer body. Short story writer Rahul Mehta will take us across continents, uncomfortable family gatherings, and bitter generational rifts to reveal the growing pains of being gay + Indian American in Quarantine. Multi-genre poet Ching-In Chen will play with form and theatrical jazz aesthetics in her latest work. While spoken word artist Kit Yan will render all those things into soulful confessions and laugh-out-loud humor. Don’t miss these readings and performances, followed by a Q+A discussion on queer writing.
