Mon January 28, 2019
Navigating the Queer, Asian American and Immigrant Experience
SEE EVENT DETAILS
Navigating the Queer, Asian American and Immigrant ExperienceGay Asian Pacific Alliance and United Democratic Club co-sponsor a conversation on the queer API experience moderated by Commonwealth Club podcaster Michelle MeowThe Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) and Team Q of the United Democratic Club are co-sponsors of a panel discussion on the queer, Asian American and immigrant experience moderated by LGBTQ advocate and Commonwealth Club podcast host Michelle Meow.Meow will lead a conversation with an all-queer and all-API panel about the experience of being queer, API and from an immigrant family. The convergence of these identities was rarely discussed in public — until a controversy during San Francisco's most recent election sharpened the focus on how the LGBTQ and Chinese immigrant communities intersect.RSVP: Event is free and open to the public. We will stream the event on the United Democratic Club's Facebook Page. Panelists:Cecilia Chung — Transgender Law Center director of strategic projects and immigrant from Hong Kong. Phil Kim — Educator and son of Korean immigrants.Mandy Lee — Equality California board president and daughter of Chinese immigrants.Cynthia Wang — Business owner and daughter of Chinese immigrants.Moderator:Michelle Meow — LGBTQ advocate and host of the “Michelle Meow Show” podcast of the San Francisco Commonwealth Club. Meow was raised in Stockton, California as the daughter of Laotian immigrants.
Panelist bios:Cecilia Chung is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years. She is nationally recognized as a civil rights leader, advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and care, LGBT equality, and social justice. Cecilia became estranged from her family due to their lack of understanding towards her being transgender. When Cecilia was stabbed during a sexual assault attempt and taken to the emergency room, her mother was the emergency contact. Cecilia's mother came to the hospital and the two reconciled. Cecilia's life story was one of four main storylines in the 2017 ABC miniseries When We Rise about LGBT rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Cecilia currently works for the Transgender Law Center as the senior director of strategic projects. She was the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is currently serving on the Health Commission.Phil Kim is an educator who came out to his family in 2013, shortly after moving to the Bay Area. His brothers and cousins were supportive and accepting. But his mother, an immigrant from South Korea, didn’t take it as well. Phil continues to work on his relationship with his parents and extended family. One of his biggest regrets in his job as a teacher was not coming out to his students. Yet Phil is finding ways to make up for lost time by helping his schools open Gay-Straight Alliance groups. Phil's education career started as a 7th grade Life Science teacher in the East Bay. He most recently managed the K-12 STEM Education program for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. Phil holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Bucknell University, and a M.A. in Urban Education Policy and Administration from the Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Board of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (also known as LYRIC) in the Castro, one of the largest LGBTQQ-youth organizations in the country. He is active in San Francisco politics and education policy having run for Commissioner of SFUSD’s Board of Education in 2016 and 2018.Mandy Lee was born and raised in the Bay Area and is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. At 16, Mandy was outed to her parents. The news was poorly received, and Mandy went back in the closet for a decade. She came out to her parents again at 27. Yet Mandy is not out to her entire family and there have been several falling outs with her parents over being lesbian. Mandy now realizes that winning full acceptance from her parents might be a lifelong struggle — but worth waiting for. Professionally, Mandy has more than a decade of experience in government relations, public affairs and political campaigns. She currently helps clients of Platinum Advisors navigate the state legislature in Sacramento. Previously, she served as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Retailers Association. Mandy is president of the Equality California c4 board, helping the organization with its political and advocacy activities. She is also chair of the California LGBTQ Caucus Political Action Committee, where she administers their political program helping to protect and elect LGTBQ candidates to public office. She helped administer an independent expenditure committee to elect California’s first-ever LGBTQ statewide officer. Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University Hayward with an emphasis in pre-law studies.Cynthia ("Cyn") Wang was born and raised in the Sunset to Chinese parents who immigrated from Korea and Taiwan. She came out to them at age 23, while introducing them to the woman she planned to marry. They spent a few months crying but eventually came around, turning those into tears of joy at their wedding in 2009. Cyn is the CFO and Chief Legal Officer at her Sunset-based family business, Wang Insurance Agency, after prior career iterations as Airbnb’s Global Policy Development Manager for Trips and Experiences and Airbnb's Policy Director for the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Alaska, advocating for legislative solutions at the frontier of the sharing economy. Before tech life, Cyn worked as a U.S. diplomat with tours in Costa Rica and Canada and served as assistant city attorney to several Bay Area cities. She's a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law and Smith College. Now that Cyn and her wife are divorcing, her parents are asking if she might consider marrying a man next. They remain proud grandparents of her daughter Sloane Lake.About Gay Asian Pacific AllianceGAPA’s purpose is to further the interests of the LGBTQ+ API community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We are an all-volunteer, grassroots organization dedicated to providing a safe space and inspiring others to celebrate our families and become advocates for LGBTQ APIs everywhere. GAPA has a 30-year legacy of social, cultural and political advocacy and community building.About Team Q of United Democratic ClubTeam Q is a committee of the United Democratic Club, San Francisco’s largest democratic club. Team Q aims to give a voice to LGBTQ residents living in all parts of San Francisco. We welcome members who do not have a history of political engagement or connection to a popular neighborhood. We also seek to mentor LGBTQ youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. Our programming will focus on how the issues of the day affect the LGBTQ population. We are committed to fighting for full equality for LGBTQ people and fighting against any attempt to undermine the rights gained so far.
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Panelist bios:Cecilia Chung is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years. She is nationally recognized as a civil rights leader, advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and care, LGBT equality, and social justice. Cecilia became estranged from her family due to their lack of understanding towards her being transgender. When Cecilia was stabbed during a sexual assault attempt and taken to the emergency room, her mother was the emergency contact. Cecilia's mother came to the hospital and the two reconciled. Cecilia's life story was one of four main storylines in the 2017 ABC miniseries When We Rise about LGBT rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Cecilia currently works for the Transgender Law Center as the senior director of strategic projects. She was the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is currently serving on the Health Commission.Phil Kim is an educator who came out to his family in 2013, shortly after moving to the Bay Area. His brothers and cousins were supportive and accepting. But his mother, an immigrant from South Korea, didn’t take it as well. Phil continues to work on his relationship with his parents and extended family. One of his biggest regrets in his job as a teacher was not coming out to his students. Yet Phil is finding ways to make up for lost time by helping his schools open Gay-Straight Alliance groups. Phil's education career started as a 7th grade Life Science teacher in the East Bay. He most recently managed the K-12 STEM Education program for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. Phil holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Bucknell University, and a M.A. in Urban Education Policy and Administration from the Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Board of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (also known as LYRIC) in the Castro, one of the largest LGBTQQ-youth organizations in the country. He is active in San Francisco politics and education policy having run for Commissioner of SFUSD’s Board of Education in 2016 and 2018.Mandy Lee was born and raised in the Bay Area and is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. At 16, Mandy was outed to her parents. The news was poorly received, and Mandy went back in the closet for a decade. She came out to her parents again at 27. Yet Mandy is not out to her entire family and there have been several falling outs with her parents over being lesbian. Mandy now realizes that winning full acceptance from her parents might be a lifelong struggle — but worth waiting for. Professionally, Mandy has more than a decade of experience in government relations, public affairs and political campaigns. She currently helps clients of Platinum Advisors navigate the state legislature in Sacramento. Previously, she served as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Retailers Association. Mandy is president of the Equality California c4 board, helping the organization with its political and advocacy activities. She is also chair of the California LGBTQ Caucus Political Action Committee, where she administers their political program helping to protect and elect LGTBQ candidates to public office. She helped administer an independent expenditure committee to elect California’s first-ever LGBTQ statewide officer. Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University Hayward with an emphasis in pre-law studies.Cynthia ("Cyn") Wang was born and raised in the Sunset to Chinese parents who immigrated from Korea and Taiwan. She came out to them at age 23, while introducing them to the woman she planned to marry. They spent a few months crying but eventually came around, turning those into tears of joy at their wedding in 2009. Cyn is the CFO and Chief Legal Officer at her Sunset-based family business, Wang Insurance Agency, after prior career iterations as Airbnb’s Global Policy Development Manager for Trips and Experiences and Airbnb's Policy Director for the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Alaska, advocating for legislative solutions at the frontier of the sharing economy. Before tech life, Cyn worked as a U.S. diplomat with tours in Costa Rica and Canada and served as assistant city attorney to several Bay Area cities. She's a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law and Smith College. Now that Cyn and her wife are divorcing, her parents are asking if she might consider marrying a man next. They remain proud grandparents of her daughter Sloane Lake.About Gay Asian Pacific AllianceGAPA’s purpose is to further the interests of the LGBTQ+ API community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We are an all-volunteer, grassroots organization dedicated to providing a safe space and inspiring others to celebrate our families and become advocates for LGBTQ APIs everywhere. GAPA has a 30-year legacy of social, cultural and political advocacy and community building.About Team Q of United Democratic ClubTeam Q is a committee of the United Democratic Club, San Francisco’s largest democratic club. Team Q aims to give a voice to LGBTQ residents living in all parts of San Francisco. We welcome members who do not have a history of political engagement or connection to a popular neighborhood. We also seek to mentor LGBTQ youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. Our programming will focus on how the issues of the day affect the LGBTQ population. We are committed to fighting for full equality for LGBTQ people and fighting against any attempt to undermine the rights gained so far.
Navigating the Queer, Asian American and Immigrant ExperienceGay Asian Pacific Alliance and United Democratic Club co-sponsor a conversation on the queer API experience moderated by Commonwealth Club podcaster Michelle MeowThe Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) and Team Q of the United Democratic Club are co-sponsors of a panel discussion on the queer, Asian American and immigrant experience moderated by LGBTQ advocate and Commonwealth Club podcast host Michelle Meow.Meow will lead a conversation with an all-queer and all-API panel about the experience of being queer, API and from an immigrant family. The convergence of these identities was rarely discussed in public — until a controversy during San Francisco's most recent election sharpened the focus on how the LGBTQ and Chinese immigrant communities intersect.RSVP: Event is free and open to the public. We will stream the event on the United Democratic Club's Facebook Page. Panelists:Cecilia Chung — Transgender Law Center director of strategic projects and immigrant from Hong Kong. Phil Kim — Educator and son of Korean immigrants.Mandy Lee — Equality California board president and daughter of Chinese immigrants.Cynthia Wang — Business owner and daughter of Chinese immigrants.Moderator:Michelle Meow — LGBTQ advocate and host of the “Michelle Meow Show” podcast of the San Francisco Commonwealth Club. Meow was raised in Stockton, California as the daughter of Laotian immigrants.
Panelist bios:Cecilia Chung is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years. She is nationally recognized as a civil rights leader, advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and care, LGBT equality, and social justice. Cecilia became estranged from her family due to their lack of understanding towards her being transgender. When Cecilia was stabbed during a sexual assault attempt and taken to the emergency room, her mother was the emergency contact. Cecilia's mother came to the hospital and the two reconciled. Cecilia's life story was one of four main storylines in the 2017 ABC miniseries When We Rise about LGBT rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Cecilia currently works for the Transgender Law Center as the senior director of strategic projects. She was the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is currently serving on the Health Commission.Phil Kim is an educator who came out to his family in 2013, shortly after moving to the Bay Area. His brothers and cousins were supportive and accepting. But his mother, an immigrant from South Korea, didn’t take it as well. Phil continues to work on his relationship with his parents and extended family. One of his biggest regrets in his job as a teacher was not coming out to his students. Yet Phil is finding ways to make up for lost time by helping his schools open Gay-Straight Alliance groups. Phil's education career started as a 7th grade Life Science teacher in the East Bay. He most recently managed the K-12 STEM Education program for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. Phil holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Bucknell University, and a M.A. in Urban Education Policy and Administration from the Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Board of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (also known as LYRIC) in the Castro, one of the largest LGBTQQ-youth organizations in the country. He is active in San Francisco politics and education policy having run for Commissioner of SFUSD’s Board of Education in 2016 and 2018.Mandy Lee was born and raised in the Bay Area and is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. At 16, Mandy was outed to her parents. The news was poorly received, and Mandy went back in the closet for a decade. She came out to her parents again at 27. Yet Mandy is not out to her entire family and there have been several falling outs with her parents over being lesbian. Mandy now realizes that winning full acceptance from her parents might be a lifelong struggle — but worth waiting for. Professionally, Mandy has more than a decade of experience in government relations, public affairs and political campaigns. She currently helps clients of Platinum Advisors navigate the state legislature in Sacramento. Previously, she served as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Retailers Association. Mandy is president of the Equality California c4 board, helping the organization with its political and advocacy activities. She is also chair of the California LGBTQ Caucus Political Action Committee, where she administers their political program helping to protect and elect LGTBQ candidates to public office. She helped administer an independent expenditure committee to elect California’s first-ever LGBTQ statewide officer. Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University Hayward with an emphasis in pre-law studies.Cynthia ("Cyn") Wang was born and raised in the Sunset to Chinese parents who immigrated from Korea and Taiwan. She came out to them at age 23, while introducing them to the woman she planned to marry. They spent a few months crying but eventually came around, turning those into tears of joy at their wedding in 2009. Cyn is the CFO and Chief Legal Officer at her Sunset-based family business, Wang Insurance Agency, after prior career iterations as Airbnb’s Global Policy Development Manager for Trips and Experiences and Airbnb's Policy Director for the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Alaska, advocating for legislative solutions at the frontier of the sharing economy. Before tech life, Cyn worked as a U.S. diplomat with tours in Costa Rica and Canada and served as assistant city attorney to several Bay Area cities. She's a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law and Smith College. Now that Cyn and her wife are divorcing, her parents are asking if she might consider marrying a man next. They remain proud grandparents of her daughter Sloane Lake.About Gay Asian Pacific AllianceGAPA’s purpose is to further the interests of the LGBTQ+ API community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We are an all-volunteer, grassroots organization dedicated to providing a safe space and inspiring others to celebrate our families and become advocates for LGBTQ APIs everywhere. GAPA has a 30-year legacy of social, cultural and political advocacy and community building.About Team Q of United Democratic ClubTeam Q is a committee of the United Democratic Club, San Francisco’s largest democratic club. Team Q aims to give a voice to LGBTQ residents living in all parts of San Francisco. We welcome members who do not have a history of political engagement or connection to a popular neighborhood. We also seek to mentor LGBTQ youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. Our programming will focus on how the issues of the day affect the LGBTQ population. We are committed to fighting for full equality for LGBTQ people and fighting against any attempt to undermine the rights gained so far.
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Panelist bios:Cecilia Chung is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has lived in San Francisco for more than 30 years. She is nationally recognized as a civil rights leader, advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and care, LGBT equality, and social justice. Cecilia became estranged from her family due to their lack of understanding towards her being transgender. When Cecilia was stabbed during a sexual assault attempt and taken to the emergency room, her mother was the emergency contact. Cecilia's mother came to the hospital and the two reconciled. Cecilia's life story was one of four main storylines in the 2017 ABC miniseries When We Rise about LGBT rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Cecilia currently works for the Transgender Law Center as the senior director of strategic projects. She was the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is currently serving on the Health Commission.Phil Kim is an educator who came out to his family in 2013, shortly after moving to the Bay Area. His brothers and cousins were supportive and accepting. But his mother, an immigrant from South Korea, didn’t take it as well. Phil continues to work on his relationship with his parents and extended family. One of his biggest regrets in his job as a teacher was not coming out to his students. Yet Phil is finding ways to make up for lost time by helping his schools open Gay-Straight Alliance groups. Phil's education career started as a 7th grade Life Science teacher in the East Bay. He most recently managed the K-12 STEM Education program for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. Phil holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from Bucknell University, and a M.A. in Urban Education Policy and Administration from the Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Board of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (also known as LYRIC) in the Castro, one of the largest LGBTQQ-youth organizations in the country. He is active in San Francisco politics and education policy having run for Commissioner of SFUSD’s Board of Education in 2016 and 2018.Mandy Lee was born and raised in the Bay Area and is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. At 16, Mandy was outed to her parents. The news was poorly received, and Mandy went back in the closet for a decade. She came out to her parents again at 27. Yet Mandy is not out to her entire family and there have been several falling outs with her parents over being lesbian. Mandy now realizes that winning full acceptance from her parents might be a lifelong struggle — but worth waiting for. Professionally, Mandy has more than a decade of experience in government relations, public affairs and political campaigns. She currently helps clients of Platinum Advisors navigate the state legislature in Sacramento. Previously, she served as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Retailers Association. Mandy is president of the Equality California c4 board, helping the organization with its political and advocacy activities. She is also chair of the California LGBTQ Caucus Political Action Committee, where she administers their political program helping to protect and elect LGTBQ candidates to public office. She helped administer an independent expenditure committee to elect California’s first-ever LGBTQ statewide officer. Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University Hayward with an emphasis in pre-law studies.Cynthia ("Cyn") Wang was born and raised in the Sunset to Chinese parents who immigrated from Korea and Taiwan. She came out to them at age 23, while introducing them to the woman she planned to marry. They spent a few months crying but eventually came around, turning those into tears of joy at their wedding in 2009. Cyn is the CFO and Chief Legal Officer at her Sunset-based family business, Wang Insurance Agency, after prior career iterations as Airbnb’s Global Policy Development Manager for Trips and Experiences and Airbnb's Policy Director for the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Alaska, advocating for legislative solutions at the frontier of the sharing economy. Before tech life, Cyn worked as a U.S. diplomat with tours in Costa Rica and Canada and served as assistant city attorney to several Bay Area cities. She's a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law and Smith College. Now that Cyn and her wife are divorcing, her parents are asking if she might consider marrying a man next. They remain proud grandparents of her daughter Sloane Lake.About Gay Asian Pacific AllianceGAPA’s purpose is to further the interests of the LGBTQ+ API community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We are an all-volunteer, grassroots organization dedicated to providing a safe space and inspiring others to celebrate our families and become advocates for LGBTQ APIs everywhere. GAPA has a 30-year legacy of social, cultural and political advocacy and community building.About Team Q of United Democratic ClubTeam Q is a committee of the United Democratic Club, San Francisco’s largest democratic club. Team Q aims to give a voice to LGBTQ residents living in all parts of San Francisco. We welcome members who do not have a history of political engagement or connection to a popular neighborhood. We also seek to mentor LGBTQ youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. Our programming will focus on how the issues of the day affect the LGBTQ population. We are committed to fighting for full equality for LGBTQ people and fighting against any attempt to undermine the rights gained so far.
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The San Francisco LGBT Center
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1800 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
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