Asian/Pacific Gays and Friends is 25!!
by Roy Liebman
Asian/Pacific Gays and Friends (A/PGF), one of the oldest
continuously-existing gay Asian organizations in the United States
has reached a great milestone---its 25th anniversary.
It was born out of a profound need for gay Asians to have a forum
in which to discuss problems and needs of mutual concern, and to
look for solutions to the issues facing them. Among these were
their perceived status as sometimes less than full members of the
gay community at large, and the differences between
Asian-Americans born in the United States and those coming here
from Asian countries. And, less solemnly, to have a companionable
place to meet and socialize with each other. A/PGF was the first
formal organization to really address the interests of this
community.
Prior to
1980, throughout the gay scene of Los Angeles, Asian men were
rarely seen at most of the bars, clubs and bathhouses that
constituted the social scene for gay men. If Asians were not
actually barred from such places, it was uncomfortable for most to
go into them. And when they did, they rarely encountered another
Asian. A few venues, such as the River Club and Mugi’s, were the
only places for groups of gay Asians to meet and, needless to say,
they were not venues for serious discussion. As a result, there
did not exist a great sense of community among gay Asian men. Many
felt isolated.
The idea of
forming an organization for gay Asians had been discussed for some
years before 1980, but an important impetus came from gay
liberation pioneer Morris Kight, who then had an Asian partner. He
convened a meeting at his house that about two dozen people
attended. Discussions centered on what kind of organization it was
to be: social, political, cultural or a combination of these?
Subsequent meetings drew more people----there were about 60 to 70
at the second one. There was also a retreat at Big Bear.
And so in 1980 the organization was born as Asian/Pacific Lesbians
and Gays (A/PLG). It was initially thought it would not be a
hierarchical kind of organization, instead consisting of an
elected steering committee of officers and delegates-at-large. The
steering committee members then became the first members of A/PLG,
with Tak Yamamoto becoming Member Number One and the first
secretary. Ultimately, when A/PLG assumed a more hierarchical
structure he became its first President in 1981. The first Board
had a majority of Asian members.
On the way
to its current success, like any other group A/PLG had some
growing pains. Among the first issues to be addressed was the role
of non-Asians in the organization, and it sometimes proved
contentious. What would their role be? Would they be able
to serve on the Board or just work behind the scenes supplying
some of the organizational know-how? Would non-Asians be included
in such functions as the rap group that was supposed to be a safe
haven for Asians to discuss their unique issues? Just who was
to run this nascent organization?
One
important goal was for Asian members to develop and/or hone their
leadership skills, to achieve empowerment and, yes, validation.
Other major goals included building solidarity between Asian gay
men and lesbians and between native Asian-Americans and those who
had emigrated from other countries. However, the issue of possible
non-Asian domination of the organization took precedence in the
beginning, and consumed considerable energy. Some other aims
temporarily took a back seat.
Another
perceived problem also caused some soul-searching. There were
those who saw A/PLG just as an opportunity for making “romantic”
connections (i.e., cruising). This alienated some members,
including the lesbians, who were few in number to begin with. This
was one reason their already small numbers declined to the point
where they formed their own organizations such as LAAPIS, the Los
Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Sisters. This reality finally led
to the name being changed to its current form, Asian/Pacific Gays
and Friends, in 1997.
With the
onset of the AIDS epidemic shortly after the founding of A/PLG,
the entire gay community had to put their differences aside and
come together to fight the scourge. A/PLG was in the forefront of
the effort to educate the Asian/Pacific community of the dangers
of the epidemic. They lobbied the county and the state for funds
to produce culturally relevant AIDS material. Other problems
faded.
More gay
Asian organizations came into being but A/PGF continues to
flourish. The growing pains had led to growing up and, finally,
maturity. It now features more monthly activities than any other
gay Asian organization in the United States and continues to add
more. A/PGF proudly looks beyond this milestone of 25 years into
the future. It will continue to be a place where gay Asians and
their friends can come together to share both their unique and
common bonds. Its mission statement is available on the website
www.apgf.org. As an example of the values of A/PGF, the first
statement reads: “To provide a support system for gay men and
women of Asian/Pacific Islander descent in their relations with
their families and communities so as to understand and accept each
other with caring and pride.”
***
The author of
this article is indebted to Eric Wat’s 2002 book The Making of
a Gay Asian Community: an Oral History of Pre-AIDS Los Angeles
for much of the information about the history of Asian/Pacific
Gays and Friends.
