On June 1st of 2019, Rangoli Pittsburgh introduced LGBTQ+ AAPI Day of Visibility, and it’s since been recognized for 2 years in a row by official proclamation from both Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. For two years, it’s been a day of celebration and of visibility for this unique intersection of identities.

But sometimes being visible means being authentic. This year has been hard for us, as activists and as humans - and we know it’s been hard for you too. With so much going on in our own personal lives, trying to keep a small, volunteer-run LGBTQ+ Asian organization alive has felt impossible. So if you’ve noticed the radio silence on our social media channels or sent us an email we’ve never responded to (sorry) - this is why. We’re exhausted. And that’s what being visible means to us this year. And that’s okay.

But the work doesn’t end when we decide to take a break, and we’re so thankful for all of the LGBTQ+ AAPI organizations, activists, and leaders who have blazed forward and kept working even while they were exhausted. And this work does not happen in a silo. Our liberations are tied together, and intersectional solidarity is the only way forward. Last year we asked for donations to Black Lives Matter and for COVID relief, and both of these causes are just as important to our communities today. So if you can, please donate to: @apalapgh, @apapgh, or @sisterspgh412.

We’ve always said that our favorite part of Rangoli has always been the things in between the events - reminding each other to eat before a panel, late night bollywood jams while working on emails, pizza porch nights, the facetimes to catch up with each other now that we don’t all live in Pittsburgh, and all of the endless ways that we remind each other to be our full, authentic selves.

So today, for the third annual LGBTQ+ Day of Visibility, we wanted to share those little moments with you - to share the joy that comes with being able to be wholly LBGTQ+ and wholly Asian together. And, if you’re interested in participating with us, you can check out last year’s toolkit at tinyurl.com/qaapitoolkit2020.

#QAAPIDay #QueerAndAsian #QAAPI