By Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large–
On May 30, 2023, I, along with my colleagues on the Oakland City Council, had the honor of passing the 2nd Annual Resolution proclaiming May 28–June 3, 2023, as Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islander (QTAPI) Week in the City of Oakland and commending the Bay Area QTAPI Coalition for organizing, mobilizing, and inspiring our QTAPI community and for uplifting the numerous contributions made by the QTAPI community locally, nationally, and globally.
The QTAPI Coalition was formed to build community, facilitate intergenerational transfer of knowledge, recognize the QTAPI community’s historical context and interdependence, and celebrate their unique cultural heritage and identity. As QTAPI people continue to experience discrimination and violence and have been disproportionately harmed by unjust systems, the City of Oakland continues to lift up this community and support it.
The Coalition includes organizations and community groups such as Lavender Phoenix (formerly known as API Equality Northern California (APIENC), Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community (APIQWTC), GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA), Parivar Bay Area, Prism Foundation, Red Envelope Giving Circle, API Transmasculine Anthology, GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco Community Health Center, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Essence of Mana, North County Outreach, QT Nightlife, and members of the Rice Rockettes.
During QTAPI Week, the Coalition hosts networking activities, capacity-building events, and supportive facilitated conversations that further the work of the QTAPI movement in Oakland, San Francisco, and the greater Bay Area to demonstrate the strength and resilience of the Asian American community in the face of continued violence, as well as pride in identity as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The Coalition continues to grow and respond to the issues facing the QTAPI community.
As Oakland’s first openly lesbian elected official, it was my honor to be the main author of the resolution declaring May 28 through June 3 as Queer and Transgender Asian Pacific Islander Week.
Happy Pride!
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland (https://twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland ) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Kaplan4Oakland/).
Out of the Closet and into City Hall
Published on June 8, 2023
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