( NEW YORK CITY ) — In the first-ever media campaign of its kind, a series of multilingual Public Service Announcements ( PSAs ) will depict real-life Asian parents breaking a cycle of silence and shame to voice unconditional love for their LGBT children.
The series is scheduled for broadcast on Asian ethnic television stations throughout June to commemorate LGBT Pride Month. Airing in 8 Asian languages and dialects, the PSAs will reach over 13.9 million viewers in major Asian markets across the country.
The series was created by the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance ( NQAPIA ) and Asian Pride Project to promote acceptance of LGBT individuals in Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander ( AAPI ) communities.
NQAPIA Executive Director Glenn D. Magpantay states, "Our campaign not only empowers immigrant parents, but also LGBT youth struggling to come out to their families. We are raising the visibility of supportive Asian parents and family members so they can act as catalysts for acceptance within their communities."
View videos here: www.nqapia.org/wpp/psa-campaign/ .
The parents in the PSAs share these messages: Our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children have been shunned, ostracized and discriminated against in our own community for too long. So I am taking a stand, because family is still family and love is still love.
An accompanying leaflet entitled "Family Is Still Family, Love Is Still Love" addresses fundamental questions and misconceptions about sexual orientation and identity. The leaflet is available in nineteen ( 19 ) Asian languages and scripts — the greatest number of translations of a single LGBT document. NQAPIA collaborated with the Asian Pride Project and parents to produce culturally appropriate materials to fill the void of role models and resources for Asian communities.
The campaign is particularly timely as the US Supreme Court weighs arguments surrounding marriage equality. According to a 2012 Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund report ( aaldef.org/Asian%20American%20Vote%202012.pdf ), only 37% of Asian Americans polled support same-sex marriage while nearly two thirds are opposed or undecided. The strongest opposition comes from those who are older and foreign-born with limited English proficiency — a common profile of Asian immigrant parents.
TV stations airing the PSA to date: KSCI-TV "LA18" ( Los Angeles ), KTSF ( San Francisco Bay Area ), Crossings TV ( syndicated in New York, Chicago, Sacramento, and Fresno ) and AAT-TV ( Seattle ). Stations in Honolulu, Boston, and DC Metro/ Maryland/Virginia are pending confirmation.
The videos will be publicly released by NQAPIA throughout June on the following timetable:
June 2 - Chinese
- Mandarin with English subtitles - Deanna Cheng, a Chinese mother of a gay son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFRKE1HxuEU&feature=youtu.be
- Cantonese with English subtitles - Rosetta Lai, a Chinese mother of a lesbian daughter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKLl07NUsj8&feature=youtu.be
June 9 - South Asian
- English with Hindi subtitles - Vinay Chaudhry, an Indian father of a genderqueer child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV7rlqrXWo4&feature=youtu.be
- Hindi with English subtitles - Kamlesh and Harcharan Bagga, Indian parents of a gay son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zjwRxHzsIs&feature=youtu.be
June 16 - Korean/Japanese
- Korean with English subtitles - Clara Yoon, a Korean mother of a transgender son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XopxORBD7dg&feature=youtu.be
- English with Japanese subtitles - Marsha and Tad Aizumi, Japanese parents of a transgender son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35mN9e7Rkh8&feature=youtu.be
June 23 - Southeast Asian
- Vietnamese with English subtitles - Ha Nguyen, a Vietnamese mother of a gay son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh4letII4Ak&feature=youtu.be
- English with Lao subtitles — Phanida Phivilay, a Lao mother of a lesbian daughter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqbv83EWqv4&feature=youtu.be
June 30 - Filipino
- English with Tagalog subtitles - Carol Mannion, a Filipina mother of a gay son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G1jgeF7bRI&feature=youtu.be
About the Sponsoring Organizations
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance ( NQAPIA ) is a federation of LGBT Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander ( AAPI ) organizations. We seek to build the organizational capacity of local LGBT AAPI groups, develop leadership, and expand collaborations to better challenge homophobia and racism.
Asian Pride Project ( APP ) recognizes the value and importance of family alliance for LGBT Asians & Pacific Islander ( API ) individuals. APP believes in the power of connecting with families and communities to provide the support they need to understand and accept sexual and gender identities in the API cultural context.
This effort was made possible with the generous support of the Arcus Foundation and David Bohnett Foundation.
