2018 Year of the Dog Lunar New Year Banquet

The APIQWTC Year of the Dog Lunar New Year Banquet will be on:

Date: 4/21/2018

Time: 5pm to 11pm

Location: Cinnamon Tree

708 Franklin Street

Oakland, CA 94607 [map]

Street Parking is available! (Free after 6pm).

Nearby Parking Garages.

Via BART from 12th St / Oakland. Head southwest on Broadway toward 12th St, turn left onto 12th St, turn right onto Franklin Street.

This event is:

• ADA accessible
• vegetarian-friendly & gluten-free-friendly
• Scent-free**

(Trans and youth are encouraged to attend.)

**See this site for description and guidelines for being scent-free: http://goo.gl/ZyDsHa

Ticket Info

We have several sponsorship levels.

Be a PLATINUM Level Sponsor! PLATINUM Level Sponsors will be recognized for your generous support in the banquet program under the “Thank You Sponsors” section. Of course, if you choose to be an anonymous sponsor, we will gladly honor your wish. (No refunds after 4/15/2018 through Brown Paper Tickets.)

Purchase tickets online: SOLD OUT

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3236682

Mail-in reservations SOLD OUT

Mailed reservation and payment must be postmarked by March 20, 2018 to ensure discount pricing. Space is limited. Reservation is guaranteed by check only. Please make checks payable to “API Banquet” and return this form with your reservation to: APIQWTC “C/O Junior Claros” P.O. Box 31872, San Francisco, CA 94131

To pay by check, print and mail this form: https://goo.gl/xmwRd1 (Mail-in reservations: Non-refundable after April 10th)

Questions regarding tickets/registration? Contact the registration team at

Phoenix Award Honoree

2018 HONOREE – Cecilia Chung

Congratulations to Cecilia Chung, Our 2018 Phoenix Award Honoree!

Cecilia Chung, Senior Director of Strategic Projects of Transgender Law Center, is a Health Commissioner of San Francisco and an internationally recognized human rights leader who advocates for HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment access, LGBT equality, and social justice.

An immigrant from Hong Kong, Cecilia arrived in San Francisco in 1984. Cecilia has worked locally and internationally to advance equality and justice. Over the past 25 years, Cecilia has broken ground in a number of ways including: being the first transgender woman and first Asian to be elected to lead the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration; the first transgender woman and first person living openly with HIV to Chair the San Francisco Human Rights Commission; and, an architect of the nation’s most ambitious publicly funded program addressing economic justice within the transgender community. Her community service spans nearly two decades. In 1994, she was a member of San Francisco’s Transgender Discrimination Task Force, which documented widespread discrimination against transgender people through a groundbreaking report. The work of the Taskforce led the City to adopt many pioneering anti-discrimination ordinances and policies. During her tenure as President of the SF Pride Board, she led the organization in achieving a new standard of inclusion and excellence.

In 2004, as a founding producer of Trans March, she helped organize one of the world’s largest annual transgender events which has since been replicated in cities across the U.S. In 2005, she became the first Deputy Director of the Transgender Law Center and is widely credited with shaping the organization’s mission and programs. In 2013, she was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. In 2015, Cecilia launched Positively Trans, a first-of-its-kind leadership development project that focuses on trans leaders of color living with HIV.

Cecilia’s accolades include the Levis Strauss & Co. Pioneer Award, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation Cleve Jones Award, the Human Rights Campaign Community Service Award, California Women of The Year, Out and Equal Champion of the Year Award, to name a few.

As one of the seven commissioners in San Francisco Department of Public Health, Cecilia chairs the Finance and Planning Committee that provide oversights and approve contracts with a combine budget of US$ 2.2 millions. As an Asian transgender woman living with HIV, she has dedicated herself to ending stigma, discrimination, and violence in all communities.

APIQWTC Phoenix Award

The Phoenix Award honors API queer women and transgender individuals who have made outstanding contributions of historical significance to the Asian Pacific Islander queer women and transgender community. The Phoenix symbolizes virtue, grace, integrity, and peace. The mythical bird additionally signifies divine beauty in its symbolic incorporation of opposing forces – yin and yang, male and female, conflict and happiness – to create harmony and balance. Awardees embody the qualities of the Phoenix, in their power and commitment to inspire faith and incite action towards justice.

Community Beneficiary

Congratulations to ASPIRE, Our 2018 Banquet Beneficiary!
https://www.apiqwtc.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ASPIRE-Logo.jpg

About ASPIRE – http://sfbay.aspireforjustice.org

ASPIRE is the first Pan-Asian undocumented immigrant led group in the country, housed under Asian Law Caucus based in San Francisco Bay Area. The mission of ASPIRE is to empower undocumented Asian Pacific Islander youth and young adults to educate, advocate, organize, and mobilize for the rights of immigrant families. ASPIRE’s vision is to build an inclusive and socially just society. In this recent year, ASPIRE has continue to protest against inhumane deportations by advocating via legislative visits, community education, and nonviolent direct actions.

APIQWTC Scholarship

Congratulations to our 2018 APIQWTC scholarship awardees, Caroline and Lori Lee!

Caroline is pursuing a B.A. in Human Biology with a concentration in community health policy at Stanford University. On campus, she has worked to increase the accessibility of mental health resources, both as a trained peer counselor and as co-director of the Mental Health & Wellness Coalition; off campus, she works with St. James’ Infirmary, a free health clinic for sex workers in SF, to provide queer and trans-inclusive healthcare to underserved communities in the city. As a queer child of immigrants, Caroline has seen firsthand how the American healthcare system has failed and continues to fail marginalized communities, especially queer and trans communities of color; at the same time, however, she also has always recognized the knowledge and power these communities have (and have always had) to care for their own and be spaces of transformative healing in the face of systemic injustice. In the future, she hopes to pursue a degree in medicine in order to put herself in a position where she can provide compassionate and culturally-competent care to her communities, speak and act out against systemic queerphobia/trans-antagonism and racism within the medical institution, and fight to ensure these communities have the resources and power they need for lasting, sustainable healing.

Lori Lee is a 3rd generation Chinese-American Lesbian is pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology at the American School of Professional Psychology in Alameda. Lori Lee decided to make the scary leap of quitting gainful employment to return to school after many years working as a child protective social worker in San Francisco, serving communities of color, queer, disenfranchised, disabled and marginalized people including issues of child abuse, domestic violence, mental health issues, substance abuse, and low socioeconomic status. Lori Lee believes that life is too short and feels it’s important to do things to bring joy to your life. Lori Lee believes that no matter how old you are it is never too late to go back to school and wants people to know that no matter your age it is important to take care of your mental health. Since belonging to the APIQWTC community for many many years (yes over 20!) Lori Lee is grateful for the scholarship and all the years of support, fun and lifelong friendships.

SPECIAL THANKS to all supporters of the Silent Auction and Raffle and other APIQWTC-sponsored events, all of which support the scholarship program.

Click here to donate to the scholarship fund, or donate at the Banquet!

A portion of Banquet proceeds goes to the APIQWTC Scholarship fund to support queer API women and transgender people in their pursuit of technical/professional training or higher education. The scholarship aims to recognize active community members and encourage future leaders. The scholarship fund is strictly segregated from the APIQWTC general operating fund. For more info, contact Junior Claros at .

Performance Lineup

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Donate to APIQWTC Banquet Silent Auction / Raffle

In the past years, our banquet SILENT AUCTION and RAFFLE have raised funds for scholarships and causes such as earthquake relief and resources for survivors of human trafficking. This year’s funds will support ASPIRE, the first Pan-Asian undocumented immigrant led group in the country. The mission of ASPIRE is to empower undocumented Asian Pacific Islander youth and young adults to educate, advocate, organize, and mobilize for the rights of immigrant families.

DONATE:

• SERVICES
• SKILLS
• ARTWORK
• GIFT CERTIFICATES
• JEWELRY
• HOME ITEMS
• CHILDREN/PET GIFTS
• and MORE!

*** (Donations are tax deductible.)

If you have a potential auction/raffle item or know of any individuals or businesses that might be willing to donate items, please contact: .

Thank you for your support!

APIQWTC Banquet 2018

Silent Auction & Raffle Committee

Tracy, Vanessa, Megumi, and Mioi

Place an Ad in Our Program? Feature Your Pet(s) on the APIQWTC Pets Page

Calling all community members and pet lovers!  You can support APIQWTC by placing an ad in our banquet program! We are now accepting Program Ad and Pet Pages submissions.

In addition to reaching out to approximately 250 banquet guests, a portion of your ad proceeds will go towards funding APIQWTC scholarships and will help support us pay for banquet expenses.

More information is included in the registration forms below.

• For more info about the Pet Pages Form, please contact .
  The complete Pet Pages Registration form can be emailed back to Mary.

• For the Program Ad Registration Form, please email digital ad art to Mary at , with “APIQWTC Ad” in the subject header.

  Artwork and check must be RECEIVED by Friday, MARCH 30th, 2018.

**Checks must be RECEIVED (not postmarked, received) by Friday, MARCH 30th 2018 in order for us to confirm ad placement in the Pets Pages of the event program. This is the printing deadline, no exceptions. Please see mailing address inside forms below.

Please click on links or images below to download your forms.

Program Ad Registration Form

Pet Ad Registration Form

Requesting Banquet Volunteers!‏

Every year we depend on awesome volunteers who make our banquet run smoothly and successfully. As a member of the volunteer-run banquet committee, I know first hand that the volunteers make this banquet become a historic event, which continues to exist year-after-year because of the commitment of volunteers and their investment in creating space to celebrate API Queer Women and Trans people.

Luckily for you, there are so many ways to help us celebrate our beautiful community! From setting up decorations, to creating a festive atmosphere for our community, to selling raffle tickets and auction items that will sustain the organization, to ensuring that our event is good to the earth by helping our sustainability team.

All volunteers of different access needs are warmly welcomed regardless of familiarity with APIQWTC — whether this is your 1st or 31st banquet!

Since APIQWTC is a fully volunteer-run community group with a small budget, volunteers must pay their own way. If you have not bought a ticket yet, please be sure to purchase one here. There are only a limited number of discounted tickets for volunteers who need financial support, so please reach out to if you are interested in this.

Since we want our volunteers to enjoy the banquet without burden, only one 2-hour shift will be assigned per volunteer. Depending on assignment or accessibility needs, roles may end early. If you are very passionate about APIQWTC, please feel free to sign up for more than one shift!

If you are moved to lend us your time and energy, please contact Anna Lei at with subject “API Banquet”.

Banquet After Party @ White Horse Bar

Our after party will be at the White Horse Bar this year. Thank you White Horse Bar for welcoming APIQWTC! See you there!

Location: White Horse Bar, 6551 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Direction from the banquet to After Party

• 21 and over
• 10pm – 2am
• whitehorsebar.com
• ADA Accessible
• $6 cover includes 1 free drink for banquet attendees with a wristband (will be distributed at banquet)

Safe Space Statement

2018 APIQWTC Lunar New Year Banquet

APIQWTC is committed to providing a SAFE SPACE for community members at our Lunar New Year Banquet and to holding community members accountable for the following actions:

• Harassment
• Intimidation
• Actual or perceived threats
• Verbal or physical violence
• Discrimination within our community, based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, color, national origin, religion etc.

In the event that these instances occur, impacted community members are encouraged to inform trained APIQWTC committee members. These members will support and intervene by taking all reasonable actions during the banquet, including:

• De-escalating the situation
• Prioritizing the safety of space and impacted community members

APIQWTC is committed to supporting all parties as needed, to ensure the APIQWTC Lunar New Year Banquet as a safe space.