November 23, 2001 - Volume 1 Number 4

>> AN EVENING OF COMEDY AND GLAMOUR <<

* Comedians Marga Gomez and Rex Navarrete
join asiaSF’s gender illusionists and A&PIWC’s
Tita Aida and the Rice Girls for an unforgettable show.

* Tuesday, November 27, 2001, 6:00 pm at asiaSF
(South of Market, 201 Ninth Street at Howard, San Francisco).

“It’s not your ordinary fundraiser,” explained John Manzon-Santos, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center’s (A&PIWC) executive director. “As we approach World AIDS Day on December 1st, and with all the events of the past few months, we decided to call on the healing power of humor to help us sustain our efforts on behalf of Asians and Pacific Islander living with HIV.”

The fundraiser supports A&PIWC's critical HIV prevention and care services. A sit down dinner, free drinks and a show will be followed by dancing and an additional performance downstairs in asiaSF's club venue.

Tickets for the dinner are $500 and $250 per person. To reserve your ticket call Ron Nieberding at 415.292.3400 extension 341. The dance party -- which begins at 8:30pm -- is free and all are welcome.

MARGA GOMEZ is currently performing in her new holiday comedy “The Twelve Days of Cochina” December 8th at the Theatre Rhinoceros (415-861-5079). Her on-camera credits include “Sphere”, “Batman Forever” and a guest-starring role with Tracey Ullman in “Tracey Takes On...” Marga is the recipient of Theatre LA's Ovation Award and San Francisco's Solo Mio Award. She has appeared on HBO's Comic Relief, Showtime's Latino Laugh Festival and Comedy Central's Out There special.

The New York Times hailed her as "a comic marksman" and "incendiary as a Molotov cocktail." The San Diego Union raved that Marga's stand up had the passion for justice that makes even her most personal works resonate" and she "performs with a biting wit and political edge that marks her as a revolutionary.”

REX NAVARRETE has performed at numerous colleges, clubs and community events including The Punchline, The Improv, The Holy City Zoo and the New York Comedy Club. In 1998, he released his first comedy CD entitled, “Badly Browned”, which was followed by “Husky Boy” in 1999. Both became bestsellers on the Classified Records label. In 2001, he released his third CD, “Bastos”. These three efforts are a first for any Filipino American comedian!

The evening will be emceed by Nikki Calma, known in the community as TITA AIDA. With a brassy and compelling presence, Calma is able to recruit members of her audience -- which can range from a beauty pageant to the Asian & Pacific Islander Stage at San Francisco Pride -- to help demonstrate how easy it is to take an HIV test using the OraSure oral testing device. "No needles, no blood, no pain," Calma explains. "It looks a little like a toothbrush and takes about five minutes."

THE RICE GIRLS -- A&PIWC's Ambassadors of HIV Prevention and Education - will perform their wacky and zany lypsync renditions of Spice Girl tunes. Members include Jazmine, Rice-a-Roni, Refried, Long Grain and the latest addition Puff. Last year the Richmond-Ermet AIDS Foundation honored this team of peer educators with one of its Community Awards at its annual Help Is On The Way gala.

>> NEW ON-LINE RESOURCES <<

You can now download or view online a number of HIV prevention brochures. A&PIWC’s “Safer Sex: A Guide for Us” is now available on-line in English, Japanese, Chinese and Tagalog. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/safersex/safersex.html

Our newest brochure “We Are Special: Transgenders and HIV” is also available in both PDF (Adobe Acrobat) and HTML formats. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/tg/tgpage01.html

>> A&PIWC LAUNCHES COLUMN IN ASIAN WEEK <<

In June, A&PIWC began an exciting partnership with Asian Week -- the only national English language news weekly for Asian Americans - to produce a bi-weekly column on sexual diversity called “Paying Attention.” A&PIWC will edit the column that includes essays both by A&PIWC staff, clients and volunteers as well as by members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Asian and Pacific Islander community generally. If you have an idea for a column contact Denise Tang at 415.292.3400 extension 323. You can also check out past columns (such as the three below) on our website.

“New Beginnings: Living Life as a Transgender Filipina” -- I remember being in the fifth grade. I felt very strongly that there was something different about me - different from the rest of the boys. I had a lot in common with the girls that I played with. Being the youngest of five, I was always afraid to show my real feelings about myself….. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/newsandfeatures/filipina.html

“Remembering Queer Moments” -- Memories can haunt you, or make you smile. They play a serious role in history and are a point of departure for community organizing….. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/remembering.html

“Paying Attention” -- John Manzon-Santos talks about his memories of Pride Marches past…. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/gaymen/doalittlepride.html

>> PHOTO EXHIBIT <<

“The Year of the Dragon: Four Seasons in the Life of Chinatown, San Francisco” is an exhibit of digital photographs by Kieran Ridge and Hiromi Oda on display at the Chinatown Community Arts Program Gallery until January 12, 2002. In their work, Ridge and Oda “attempt to use digital technology in ways that are creative, socially engaged and, above all, humane.” We would like to thank the two artists for donating 10% of all exhibition sales to benefit A&PIWC.

To learn more about the artists and their vision check out their website at www.thestreetsofsanfrancisco.com. In addition to their Chinatown photos - which is part of their neighborhoods of San Francisco series -- you can sample their other photo collections such as Gay Pride & Dyke March, the Cherry Blossom Festival and Halloween at Castro.

>> PHOTO ALBUMS <<

Check out our on-line photo albums!

On Wednesday, October 31, 15 contestants wore their scariest, most fabulous costumes to compete in our annual Halloween Contest. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/photoalbums/halloween2001/index.html

A&PIWC's Dungeon was a big hit at the Folsom Street Fair and the Rice Girls rocked the crowd at the Castro Street Fair. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/photoalbums/folsom2001/index.html http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/photoalbums/castro2001/index.html

In September, the Star Search Karaoke 2001 Grand Finals were held at the N’Touch Club. The competition was fierce, the contestants fabulous and the crowd enthusiastic. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/starsearch/starsearch.html

With BRING IT ON! as its theme, A&PIWC organized a full menu of activities for this year's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration. Volunteers marched down Market Street behind A&PIWC's Pride Parade Float that featured a giant megaphone. Dozens of cheerleader-clad volunteers and peer educators chanted slogans and “cheers” urging people to get tested for HIV, to use condoms and to protect themselves. Thousands more enjoyed the grooves and moves emanating from the Asian & Pacific Islander Pride Stage that returned this year with an impressive lineup of talent representing the cultural diversity of San Francisco's Asian and Pacific Islander communities. 54 individuals stopped by our booth at the “Queerific Rim Pavilion” to get tested for HIV and to receive pre-test counseling. A&PIWC’s staff conducted pre-test counseling during the Pride Celebration in Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese as well as English. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/pride2001/index.html

>>>> UPCOMING EVENTS <<<<

** Volunteer Training
** November 30-December 2
** A&PIWC, 730 Polk Street (at Ellis), 4th floor
Want to get involved in the community and help fight HIV? Are you interested in doing research in bars and clubs? Interested in becoming a paid peer leader? Want to learn more about health issues? Attend A&PIWC's weekend volunteer training and learn about such topics as HIV transmission, safer sex, HIV testing, sex and gender diversity, outreach, counseling and HIV treatments. Meals and materials provided. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/vtraining.html

** Vietnamese LGBT Weekend Retreat
** December 1-2, Saturday and Sunday
** Santa Cruz, CA
Want to send time in the woods next to a beautiful waterfall with new friends? Learn and share with other Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Vietnamese. Meals, transportation and housing provided free. To registration contact Tony Nguyen at 415.292.3420 x319.

** Expanded Programming for Queer A&PI Youth
Check out the new programs offered by AQU25A: Hip Hop Dance Nights, Creative Workshops, Movie Nights and Drop-Ins. AQU25A (Asian and Pacific Islander Queer and Questioning, 25 and Under All Together) is a group about and run by young queer and questioning A&PI who are aged 25 years and under. To find out about the next event visit our Upcoming Events Calendar or call Jaedon at 415.292.3420 x315.

Visit our website to find out about other upcoming events and groups. http://www.apiwellness.org/v20/upcoming/upcoming.html

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THANK YOU… CHEER SF (www.cheersf.org) for selecting A&PIWC as the beneficiary for the funds it collected at the 2001 Castro Street Fair as part of its Cheer for Life Fund. Each time Cheer San Francisco performs at an event they take along “spirit buckets” to receive donations from the spectators. The spirit buckets help support the Cheer for Life Fund which supports organizations that provide direct care services to people facing life-threatening challenges including HIV/AIDS and cancer.

And a special thanks to the ACADEMY OF FRIENDS for selecting A&PIWC as a beneficiary for its 2002 Oscar Night Gala, the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund for a generous $50,000 capacity building grant for our HIV prevention programs and The Philip Wald and Richard Birnie Fund of the Horizons Foundation for a $2,500 general support grant.

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