Talk to Us!
Are you a gay, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning API man? Got a question, comment, or suggestion for AQUA? You can reach us below:
AQUA
PO Box 44136
Washington, DC 20026-4136
Please consider making a donation to AQUA :).
"Being on the AQUA board in the year 2007 helped me grow as a person, developed many meaningful friendships, and enable us to build a sense of community in the DC-Metro Area", said Danny, AQUA treasurer for 2007 and co-chair for 2008. Richard, the other co-chair, has similar feelings about AQUA "Having recently moved from Vancouver, Canada, I had a hard time meeting people, not to mention creating meaningful friendships. But AQUA changed that. From meeting interesting people at the AQUA anniversary event, to letting loose on the Apex dance floor, AQUA has made my experience in DC enjoyable."
Working together as board of directors, we know one of the key issues to address is membership participation. This year, we aim to start having conversations with our members about their needs. Armed with the knowledge of what its members are seeking, be able to inspire a sense of pride and belonging for all our members and supporters, and therefore enthusiasm and participation.
The plans for 2008 is being filled with exciting events, including participation in Chinatown New Year parade, Lunar New Year Dinner Celebration, Dragon Boat Race, Pride and Heritage, Capital Pride, and more. Repeating events such as the new AQUA's Night Out at TOWN, quarterly Pot-Lucks, and Rap Sessions are also bought back to enhance membership involvement and participation.
Depending on membership needs and interests, we could even volunteer as a group for the HRC dinner, and make a political presence for the Queer Asian community during the 2008 presidential and congressional election year. 2008 is also a special year for the Asian community since the Olympic Games take place in Beijing starting August 8, 2008, we can gather a local sports team, get together to watch the games at a sports bar, or go as far as visiting Beijing as a group. The possibilities of what AQUA can accomplish is endless; however, we can not make that promise simply by running the AQUA board; AQUA needs all of its members to make a positive presence, spread the words about AQUA, and bond together as a support network for each other.
We're thrilled with AQUA's membership participation in the year 2007. The success of every one of this past year's event was not achieved by any particular person on the AQUA board; they were successful because of the enthusiastic participation of our members. Together as a board, we are grateful to those who have contributed to AQUA in front or behind the scenes, as you've made us feel like being a part of a community that we all can reach out to if needed, and hence, a feeling of home.
In 2008, we hope to develop and train new leaders by encouraging non-board members to host, facilitate, and help to put together some of these events. Together, we can continue to achieve a common goal—to end discrimination in both the Queer community and the Asian community by projecting a positive image of Queer API men through advocacy, education, outreach, and social events.
We ask for your continuous support, membership participation, volunteerism, and sponsorship in allowing us to achieve this goal together as an organization, as a team.
Sincerely,
Danny and Richard,
AQUA-DC Co-Chairs.
Please consider making a donation to AQUA :).