Steering Committee

Jason Wu, Co-Chair

Jason has been part of GAPIMNY’s Steering Committee since 2015, and is excited to organize with GAPIMNY members towards collective liberation. He was born and raised in NY and previously lived in Los Angeles. They currently work in civil legal services fighting gentrification and displacement of low income communities of color. Their writing on race, intersectionality, and social movements can be found on Truthout, Gotham Gazette, New York Daily News and other publications. Jason Wu | Truthout

 

 

 

Ryan Shen, Co-Chair

Ryan Shen has been part of the Steering Committee since 2013. He was born and raised in NYC but lived apart from his family after college to explore his gender identity. He believes all important things are political and good education will show that collective struggle is the only way to liberation. Ironically, he still hates conflicts and will avoid difficult conversations like you would expect from a Pisces.

 

 

 

 

Jason Kwong, Co-Chair

Jason joined the Steering Committee in 2009 and has served as Co-Chair and Health and Communications Chairs. Before moving to New York, he worked with the queer API community at A&PI Wellness Center and Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) in San Francisco, CA. He works in public health conducting health care research and policy. He has been helping organize Poongmul Movement Builders, a queer API Korean drumming group, since 2012. He is also a part of Asian American Impact Fund, a New York giving circle. During the summer, you can find him around Flushing training with his dragon boat team.

 

 

 

Kiwi Nguyen, Trans Justice Committee / STAR*Fruit Collective Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Chen, Communications Chair

Kevin joined GAPIMNY in 2016. He grew up in the Hudson Valley before moving to the NYC area after college. He enjoys learning languages (10 and counting), running (finished his first half marathon in 2021), sourdough baking, and songwriting. He works at Squarespace as a senior software engineer, and is the chairperson for the Asian American Impact Fund Giving Circle.

 

 

 

 

Bruce Wang, Social Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liam Yung, Fundraising Chair

Liam is a native New Yorker.  He joined GAPIMNY in 2010 and also shows his dedication to the Asian American community by serving on the steering committee of API Rainbow Parents, a unit of PFLAG NYC geared towards parents of Asian LGBTQIA children. Liam studied finance at Baruch college. In his spare time he organizes many QTAPI nightlife events.

 

 

 

 

Johanes Atmaja, Finance Chair

Johanes Atmaja has been part of GAPIMNY’s Steering Committee since 2018. He was born in Indonesia  and moved to New York in 2007. He is passionate about ensuring a safe and secure space for fellow queer immigrants in NYC and beyond. He loves to eat out, read manga and travel. His favorite quote is “Pioneering is never done in front of cheerleaders urging on a roaring grandstand of popular approval.” George Takei

 

 

 

 

Praveen Sathi, Membership Chair

 

 

 

 

 

Ty Matsunaga, Admin Chair

Native New Yorker and Tokyoite, Ty joined GAPIMNY in 2017. Touched by the eye-opening space the organization fosters, he is excited to play a supporting role in empowering the Steering Committee and QTAPI community at large. You can often find him highly caffeinated at cute coffee shops, the movies, the swimming pool, or at Japanese restaurants.

 

 

 

 

Johnny Sieu Phong, Member-at-Large

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Chen, Member-at-Large

Mike is a former member of GAPA, Trikone, and SALGA. He was a secretary for Gay Pacific Asian Alliance, and he also spear-headed the George Choi/GAPA Scholarship  which is now the GAPA Foundation.  He volunteered against Prop 29 and campaigned for Roberta Achtenberg for SF Mayor. He has also worked on protecting the redwood trees at Headwater Forest, CA. He is South Asian and committed to fighting for the rights of trans athletes.

 

 

 

Patrick Lee, Member-at-Large

Patrick is a queer Korean American filmmaker, writer, and community organizer. He’s made films about Asian American coming out stories, LGBTQ self-representation, and queer Asian history. In 2018, he helped organize KQTcon, the first national gathering of queer and trans people of Korean descent in the U.S. He likes eating sweet potatoes.

 

 

 

Alphonse Tam, Member-at-Large

Alphonse joined GAPIMNY in 2019. He is passionate about urban and community development and has spent his academic/professional life studying and supporting nonprofits and startups that aim to improve the lives of low-income communities and communities of color. He enjoys a good book, a good meal, and a good workout.