June 13, 2002 - Volume 2 Number 3

>> VIVA LA RAINBOW
The Official San Francisco LGBT Pride Photo Show

Viva La Rainbow - an exhibition of photography by Kieran Ridge & Hiromi Oda -- captures the spirit of diversity and freedom at the heart of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride. An official San Francisco Pride event, the images scream “Be Yourself.” Photos from the show will be on sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting A&PIWC. See the exhibit at the SF LGBT Community Center from June 1st to June 30th or at Borders Books & Music on Union Square from June 15th to June 30th.

Better yet, join us for a RECEPTION in the lobby of the new LGBT Center on Saturday, June 15th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The reception will take place under the giant photo of the Metamorphosis Girls performing on last year’s Asian & Pacific Islander Pride Stage that is the centerpiece of the exhibit.

You can check out the photos by visiting
http://www.thestreetsofsanfrancisco.com/sfpride/

>> ASIANS & PACIFIC ISLANDERS RULE LGBT PRIDE.02

A&PIWC will be proud, loud and visible during June conducting high visibility outreach and education at dozens of events. This year Asian and Pacific Islanders will be front and center during LGBT Pride month in San Francisco.

Two of this year's four LGBT Pride Parade GRAND MARSHALS are local A&PI community leaders - each associated with one of A&PIWC two predecessor organizations. Christopher Lee, a FTM transgender activist, was a peer leader for Asian AIDS Project's Chameleon Program. Hoover Lee, a Chinese-Hawaiian human rights advocate and political leader in San Francisco for the past three decades, was a pioneering member of the Association of Lesbians and Gay Asians and the co-founder of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance. A&PIWC came in second in the voting for Organizational Grand Marshal with our friends at the new LGBT Community Center taking first place.

If you feel like marching then join A&PIWC's Pride contingent -- this year's theme is "Be Real: No More Drama!"

>> ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER PRIDE STAGE LINE UP

Now in its third year, the Asian & Pacific Islander Stage is A&PIWC most visible Pride event. The Stage is one of the many community events which A&PIWC produces or co-sponsors as a tool for educating the community about critical health issues including the need for HIV testing. The centerpiece of A&PIWC's efforts will be the free confidential and anonymous oral HIV testing that our staff will be conducting at our booth next to the Stage. Last year, A&PIWC tested 54 people and conducted pre-test counseling in multiple A&PI languages at Pride.

PERFORMERS already confirmed include -- pop/alternative band Julie Plug -- Alvendia - Fatima -- teen pop sensation April -- Culture Shock - Freeplay -- Australia's Filipina Diva Florelie Escano -- DNDM - UTOPIA -- Purple Moon Dance Project -- Malyssa - Natalise -- The GAPA Dance Company -- Sharon T. - Noly -- Sawatdee Thai Classical Dance Group -- The Rice Girls -- The Ladies of Moani Ke'ala O ka Mailelauli'i -- The Metamorphosis Girls -- The Men of Ka Ilo Makawalu A Ka Ua Kipi'u upu'u - Miss Trans-Globe 2002 - FTFA's AIDS Tambayan Dance Troupe - Vietnamese folk group Echos of the Motherland and A&PIWC's newest venture, the MxM Dance Troupe.

Check out our website to learn more about the Pride Stage, performers and other Pride activities <http://www.apiwellness.org/>

To see A&PIWC's on-line photo album from last year‚s event visit
<http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/pride2001/index.html>

>> VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE PRIDE A SUCCESS

We need your help! Distribute posters and palm cards. Help set up and break down the A&PI Stage and our booth. March with us in the parade. And dozens of other fun tasks. For more information please call our Volunteer Coordinator Sharon Senzak at 415.292.3420 x359 or drop her an email at sharon@apiwellness.org.

<http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/pride2002/pride_volunteer.html>

>> A&PIWC RECEIVED IMPACT AWARD FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS

On May 24th, A&PIWC was honored by the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) with its Member Impact Award at a ceremony in Washington, DC. A&PIWC was recognized "as the leading voice for Asian & Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth" and for organizing a groundbreaking retreat which led to the creation of a national Asian and Pacific Islander Youth and HIV Network. NYAC is a national membership organization that advocates for young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning.
To learn more about the National Youth Advocacy Coalition visit <http://www.nyacyouth.org>

>> A&PI SHARE : LANDMARK HIV RESEARCH SUMMIT in OAKLAND

Mark your calendars! A&PIWC and UCSF's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies in collaboration with the Office of AIDS Research of the National Institutes of Health are co-sponsoring "A&PI SHARE," the first-ever national Summit on HIV/AIDS Research in Asian and Pacific Islander communities, which will take place in Oakland, CA on November 15-17, 2002.

>> KQED AIRS SEGMENT on A&PIWC
KQED produced and aired a short video profiling A&PIWC as part of the television station‚s 2002 Bay Area Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Awards. You can view the video online with Quicktime by visiting KQED‚s website.
<http://www.kqed.org/community/heritage/asianpacific/localheroes.html>.

A&PIWC NEWS is published by the
© Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center (A&PIWC).
All rights reserved.


The mission of Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities -- particularly A&PIs living with or at-risk for HIV/AIDS. A&PIWC is the oldest and most comprehensive, non-profit HIV/AIDS services organization in North America targeting Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities. To meet the needs of our clients who are often immigrants or refugees, A&PIWC's staff speak 18 languages.

Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th floor
San Francisco, CA 94109-7813
415.292.3400 Voice
415.292.3410 TTY
415.292.3404 Fax
www.apiwellness.org

APIWC NEWS CONTACTS
Ronald A. Nieberding, Editor
John Manzon-Santos, Executive Director
John S. San Agustin, Chair, Board of Directors
For questions and further information about APIWC NEWS or to have your name added or removed from our distribution list, please contact us at APIWCNews@apiwellness.org