Release: First LGBT Contingent to March in NYC Parade

The following release announces a Feb 21 New York City Lunar Year event organized by Q-Wave, and supported by a coalition of Asian American community organizations, political officials and media figures.

The NYC march will occur in the wake of -- and likely in answer to -- protests by Asian churches at a California Lunar New Year Parade, which included LGBTQ groups.

Also of interest, see "Backlash against Vietnamese gay groups in parade".

---- RELEASE ----

Groups to March in First-Ever Asian American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent in Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

***Contingent Supported by Broad Coalition including

New York City Comptroller John Liu

and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn

What: First-ever Asian American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent in New York’s Lunar New Year Parade, marching for the first time in the parade’s 11-year history and the Chinatown community’s 130 year history.

It is the first time on the East Coast that AA LGBTQ groups have been invited to march in a Lunar New Year parade. Marchers will be traveling from Philadelphia and Rhode Island to join the contingent.

LGBTQ people of Irish- and South Asian-American descent have been repeatedly excluded from marching in their own ethnic celebrations in New York City, respectively the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and the India Day Parade. Irish- and South-Asian American groups will join and march with the Asian American LGBTQ contingent in Lunar New Year Parade 2010.

Who: LGBTQ Asians (who identify with cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year), their friends and allies. For more information: www.asianprideproject.org/lunarnewyear.

When/Where: Sunday, February 21^st

11:30 AM - Convene on Mott Street between Hester and Spring (walk up Mott Street until you see our Lunar New Year for All banners & colorful fish kites). Parade ends at 3PM.

The effort is organized by Q-Wave, supported by the Asian Women’s Giving Circle and has been endorsed by a number of groups including: Project Reach, CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities, Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York, (GAPIMNY), Nodutol for Korean Community Development, OCA-New York Chapter, Queer Asian Spirit, Chinatown Youth Initiatives, Barangay, South Asian Lesbian Gay Association, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV and AIDS, and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum., Chinese American Planning Council, CPC-HIV/AIDS Services, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Museum of Chinese in America, Asian American Arts Alliance, Asian American Writers Workshop and Asian Cinevision It has also been endorsed by prominent individuals such as Comptroller John Liu, Speaker of City Council Christine Quinn, actor Joan Chen, Community Leader Rocky Chin and Journalist Helen Zia.