And now for something different... We've got double trouble! It's time to meet the Angry Readers of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Readers are Tran Le and Terrenz Vong.
Who are you?
We are Tran Le and Terrenz Vong, a dynamic duo out to save the world from homophobia. We're also girlfriends... as in girlfriends, not girl friends.
*In the photo: Terrenz (left), Tran (right). This photo was taken during the Golden Dragon Chinese Lunar New Year (2012) parade in Chinatown, Los Angeles. We were "brides" marching with API Equality-LA.
What are you?
We are queer, second generation Vietnamese and Chinese Americans.
Where are you?
We're currently on planet Earth at approximately 34°4'58"N 118°23'4"W. We are also in Tran's room "Yelping" for food destinations.
Where are you from?
We both grew up in Southern California. Tran is from the San Fernando Valley and Terrenz is from the San Gabriel Valley.
What do you do?
As a couple, we dedicate our free time to organizing in the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. We work very closely with API Equality-LA, a grassroots non-profit organization made up of individuals working to build support for equal marriage rights and fair treatment of LGBTQ people in the greater Los Angeles API community.
We've learned to use grassroots organizing as a means towards community advocacy. Side-by-side with seasoned and renown API activists, we canvassed for marriage equality and the FAIR Education Act, used Vietnamese & Chinese as a tool for bilingual discourse about LGBTQ issues, and broadened our networks with community leaders in both allied and queer communities.
We've also founded our own non-profit organization called The Learn to Love Project (LTLP) where our purpose is to connect API LGBTQ identified youth with role models and professionals in their own communities. It was important for us to create spaces like these to encourage discourse on the topic of API gender and sexuality. It is so often that our experiences, as LGBTQ individuals, are marginalized within the broad API discussion.
These students have an opportunity to express their concerns for the lack of equal representation in their communities and to address personal fears of anti-gay bullying.
Tran is a graduating senior majoring in Asian American Studies at California State University, Northridge. Terrenz is a UC Santa Barbara graduate who's currently an Alumni Communications Manager at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
What are you all about?
We are about challenging norms, empowering voices, and changing hearts and minds towards a more supportive community. We enjoy connecting with individuals that are passionate about creating change in API community.
What makes you angry?
Ignorance, homophobia, and bad sushi.
