As humans, we all crave a sense of belonging. Seattle has been that refuge for LGBTQIA+ people for decades, a place where they can find safety and understanding.

However, for a Queer person of color, it can be a struggle to find a community to belong to. Pride ASIA, founded in 2012 by Aleksa Manila, a drag performer and therapist, seeks to create a space to celebrate and empower those with Asian and Pacific Islander identities. The volunteer-run organization hosts events and provides resources especially for Queer Asian and Pacific Islander people.

Manila recalls that in the 1990s and 2000s, some Queer organizations in Seattle did focus on Asian identities, but they seemed to fizzle out. She felt there was a need for a formal and visible group where Asian LGBTQIA+ people could come together beyond personal social networks and friendships.

One of the main events the organization hosts every year is Pride ASIA Fest, usually before Pride Month, with dancing, music, speakers, etc. It is a traditional Pride celebration but specific to Asian cultures, heritages, and histories.

“Part of the reason why we do it in Seattle's Chinatown International District is to remind our ancestors, our families, our relatives, our Asian American communities that LGBTQ Asian Pacific Islanders do exist,” Manila said.

“Simultaneously, it was also a reminder for LGBTQ folks that we aren't just LGBTQ, we're also Asian Americans, we're also Pacific Islanders, so we just wanted to remind them about the diversity.”

Dimsum Dialogue, Pride ASIA’s educational arm, hosts community panels, presentations, trainings, and book readings featuring LGBTQIA+ authors, among other events. 

“What's the Tea?” is Dimsum Dialogue’s weekly social support group, every Thursday at Oasis. Primarily funded by the gender-based violence referral program at the Filipino Community of Seattle, the group provides a safe space for Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ people to connect and build community. Speakers are invited to discuss various topics, such as domestic violence, legal support for AAPI communities, or coming out. Manila serves as the group's licensed social worker. 

One of these invited speakers was Maya Mem Saab, a South Asian drag queen and member of Pride ASIA. Mem Saab came out at the age of 39 while married to a woman with whom she had a son. She was invited to speak about her experiences of coming out later in life and Queer parenting.

“There were other people [at the event] who could relate to that,” Mem Saab said. “There is a Queer child wanting to talk to their parents, or there was a parent who had a Queer child. That is one of the great things that Pride ASIA does.”

Dutchess Manila Starr, Seattle’s first Bollywood drag queen and the reigning empress of the Imperial Court of Seattle, is also part of Pride ASIA. (She is also Manila’s drag daughter and Mem Saab’s drag mother.)
Manila Starr explained how she was the first South Asian member to join Pride ASIA: “I’ve been doing drag now for almost 12 years, and when I first started, there were no other South Asian or Bollywood drag queens [in Seattle].”

She described how, particularly in South Asian cultures, being Queer is taboo, and it makes people reluctant to break into Queer spaces. Pride ASIA has given her the opportunity to represent other South Asian Queers, and she hopes they know they can truly be themselves and find a community and support in the organization.

The next Pride ASIA fest will be held on May 24 in Hing Hay Park. More information is at www.prideasia.org.