If you feel like supporting something local...here you go!

http://igg.me/at/qulturecollective/x

  We are down to the last 2 days of our Indiegogo campaign to help fund the development of a new queer space that is visibly located in the heart of Downtown Oakland. We are very passionate about Qulture Collective and our vision to create a self-sustainable, LGBTQIA+ creative space.

To get it off the ground we need your help to raise as much funding as we can before the campaign concludes. Please take some time to donate and share. 

Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate you.

Our Indiegogo page - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qulture-collective/

Here are some links to find more information about our cause:

EBX - http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/qulture-collective-a-downtown-hub-for-oakland-queers/Content?oid=4472148

Bay Area Reporter - http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=70830

Lesbian.com - http://www.lesbian.com/qulture-collective-creates-safe-space-for-queer-creatives/

Sound bite from KPOO radio (listen in at 14:00) - http://chirb.it/d8ha58

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/qulture-collective/

Eat With Me

Hey Gaysians.

You gotta watch "Eat with Me" on Netflix. Basically, an Asian mom finds out her son is gay. Then what? Well, it's quite fun to watch how she deals with it in modern day society, and who she meets to help her along. 

Good news is, this movie is in English :) No subtitles needed this time.

Quite a cute movie  Eat with Me Trailer

What are YOUR thoughts on the movie?

Dating Apps

Hey Guys & Gals,

Sorry I've been MIA - busy with work and life and class. So what I want to talk about today is, how do you meet people after college?

Everybody has heard of Tindr, and okcupid, but what about apps like "The L"? Is there a better method to meet someone organically? Sure you can visit the local gay/lesbian/bi club, but how are you suppose to have meaningful connections when you can't hear each other over the loud music? (not to mention over-priced drinks and sweaty drunk people bumping into you).

I honestly do not have any good ideas either other than exhausting your network of friends and getting introduced to someone. I have thought about the idea of open-minded parents setting you up with a potential date, but they would have to be extremely open minded asian parents to do something like that for you. This is where I envy Indian cultures and their match-making marriages. Can I opt for that please?

Throw your idea out there and perhaps your suggestion will help someone else find a meaningful and worthwhile date. We'd love to hear from you :)

Greywater Recycling Systems, Inc

California's drought is getting worse. 3rd year in drought mode - mandatory water conservation throughout the state (>25%), and unfortunately no rain clouds in site.

This post is not directly related to gaysians, but I thought this find was too good not to share. Here's a solution for every household to save $$$ money on their increasing water bills, save water of course, and feel proud in being part of the solution:

http://greywaterrecyclingsystems.com

I can't wait to install one in my home - and I'd want everyone in the gaysian community to benefit from this unique technology and be pioneers in the next big movement: WATER CONSERVATION

Please join me in making our earth a more green and sustainable environment.

What would you like to read about?

Send in your requests on any particular topic and I'll try my best to fulfill them. Leave a comment or send me a message :) Thanks for reading!

Wedding Attire = Anxiety

kipper clotheirs tie offered on kickstarter campaign Greyscale Goods

Ok....so I just found this kickstarter campaign called GREYSCALE GOODS with 24 hours left. Great news is that they're already funded, however, this androgynous clothing line started by a woman in Los Angeles and caters to the androgynous female clientele is trying to start a business JUST FOR US!! check it out and support them! I can't wait to see what else they come up with next!

whoa....http://www.dapperq.com/2014/10/personalized-androgynous-clothing-could-be-waiting-on-your-doorstep-if-greyscale-goods-is-backed-on-kickstarter/

AND if you feel like helping out more or just spreading the word...they have a little 5 min survey (only took me 2 min) to help them better their products toward US! 
http://bit.ly/1r1uEbG

kipper clothiers

and for WEDDING ATTIRE related clothing...try these sites :) good luck!

• http://www.gayweddingdestinations.com/information/lesbian-wedding-outfits.aspx
• https://twitter.com/dapperQ 

for that tailored fit..... http://www.kipperclothiers.biz/ ....for women (and men) who exclusively wear men's clothes :) yay!    and wait what? wedding attire advice? No way!

• http://www.soyoureengayged.com/2010/what-to-wear-to-a-wedding-part-two/
• http://sf.racked.com/archives/2014/06/11/custom-wedding-suits-for-women-sf.php

Oh yea..and since Ellen Degeneres has a great sense of style...
http://www.pinterest.com/ellentv/ellens-style/

George Takei

Did you know....
.........................George Takei is coming out ... with his own movie?! 
It's called "To Be Takei" 

If you are interested in Gaysians in the media, he is an out gaysian celebrity and has been for quite some time. It gives the next generation of gaysians hope of finding someone to grow old with, as he has done. He's also got a great sense of humor too! For example...

Twitter post

amusing.
Other Gaysian celebrities, courtesy of a google search 'gay asian celebrities':
http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-gay-asian-celebrities/celebrity-lists?format=SLIDESHOW&page=8

list of 54:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jr-tungol/lgbt-asians_b_2026330.html

Ted Video:
George Takei, Why I love a country that once betrayed me

Fifty Shades of Gay

This was a very touching, inspiring and passionate video. Thanks TEDxWomen!

TEDxWomen invites iO Tillett Wright to speak about "fifty shades of gay"
http://www.ted.com/talks/io_tillett_wright_fifty_shades_of_gay

{Artist iO Tillett Wright has photographed 2,000 people who consider themselves somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum and asked many of them: Can you assign a percentage to how gay or straight you are? Most people, it turns out, consider themselves to exist in the gray areas of sexuality, not 100% gay or straight. Which presents a real problem when it comes to discrimination: Where do you draw the line? (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)}

http://video-subtitle.tedcdn.com/talk/podcast/2012X/None/iOTillettWright_2012X-480p-zh-cn.mp4  {simplified Chinese subtitles}

The yellow equal sign

The Human Rights Campaign

I don't really know what they do, but I see the bumper stickers, T-shirts, etc... everywhere, especially around the city of San Francisco. [http://www.hrc.org/] However, I do like this back to school twitter post they have about how to confront the "That's so Gay!" phrase among students:

https://twitter.com/HRC/status/510129561099857921/photo/1

Try it out and leave a comment on how it went :)

Supreme Court rules Gay Marriage Legal!

What wonderful news! And yes it's about time!

Gay marriages resume in California after five-year hiatus
click link above

Today's newest headlines are in! Instead of waiting 25 days for there to be objections to the supreme court ruling, the court decided to shorten that window to only 2 days (the deadline being this evening)! As a result, many couples have already lined up to register and say their marriage vows. I don't know about your hometown, but San Francisco is already in celebration! It's also a coincidence that this weekend is Pride weekend! Can you imagine being in the castro with an expected 1.5 million people?!?!?!

Here's another article from New York Times explaining more about the same-sex marriage rulings:

NYT: Supreme Court Bolsters Gay Marriage With Two Major Rulings

click link above

It's a great week for all Americans today because it's a celebration of another stride towards true equality. Way to go USA!

Scammers 405-445-4841

Hey Readers,

I just have to warn you all - DO NOT pick up from this number 405-445-4841. Spam.

Unfortunately, after a quick google search I find out this number is coming out of Oklahoma. And although I am already registered on the national Do Not Call List (http://www.donotcall.gov) I still got a scam call from this number. Here's the deal.

A man replies with a very surprised tone when I answered the call :

     "... Hello! Yes, I am calling about an online survey you filled out regarding employment opportunities in your area. Are you interested?"

"Um, which online survey?"  <-- I don't recall filling out ANY.

     "I'm just calling to see if you are interested in employment opportunities. Are you currently employed?"

"Which company is this?"

    "I'm just trying to offer you job opportunities in your area, that's all. Is that okay with you?" <--  Whoaaaa, all of a sudden so defensive! He must have gotten this reaction often from callers he tried to scam prior to calling me.

"..Um, sure."

     "Okay great! Are you currently employed? What year did you graduate high school? What is your highest educational background?"  <-- Wait a minute..if i filled out an online survey, shouldn't he have all this info already?

    "And what is your name? Please spell it out slowly. . . *pause* . . .and what is your email address?" <--RED ALERT. THIS GUY MUST BE BAD NEWS. 

"Shouldn't you have my email already? (esp. if i filled out an online survey)" 

...*pretends not to hear me* ... "and what is your zipcode?"

HANG UP IMMEDIATELY.

Scam scam scam. Really unfortunate to see it might be pranksters taking advantage of Oklahoma's situation and probably previously claimed to be "disaster relief" asking for donations.

Register your phone number to stop getting calls (it helps):
https://www.donotcall.gov/

Please share any other spam phone numbers you've gotten too.

About raising gender non-conforming children

http://raisingmyrainbow.com/2012/06/30/12-things-every-gender-nonconforming-child-wants-you-to-know/

Great article and this should be what we hope to strive for as adults and what we wish our parents to be for us.

Guide to Dating, Part 1

Love at first sight?! Probably not. 
Attraction at first sight?! Probably yes.

Therefore, let's do a post on some guidelines for dating if you are thinking about going on the market, *ahem* the dating market. FYI, this is just my own market research I've done regarding fashion and grooming tips from my circle of gaysian buddies. Here we go~

Fashion & Grooming Tips

For gay guys:

• grooming
• hygiene
• fashion
• personality

For gay girls:

• hygiene
• confidence
• personality

Everybody has their own style. What's yours? Figure that out first, then be comfortable in your own shoes (literally and figuratively). Once you've established what your particular and unique style(s) are, then work it! Accentuate on all your positive features, and ask your friends to help you with this part. If they are your true friends, they will tell it like it is, no sugar coating and most likely, take you shopping to get some new outfits or makeovers or whatnot. After-all, isn't that what friends are for? ^_^''

Secondly, once you've established your style got some help with your wardrobe and exterior stuff, time to work on the interior. Build that confidence. Again, be comfortable in your own shoes. Know what you like, and what you don't like. If you don't know, then yes, that is where the term "dating" came from, to help us all figure it out. 

Another thing to keep in mind, it's okay to take your time and figure it out. There is nothing wrong with being single, not being single, feeling attracted to a particular gender, or both, or none. Everybody is different and we should all be accepting of everyone's unique qualities and preferences. After-all, we do live in America. Well, most of the readers here do anyway.

Ok, so there you are, some grooming and fashion tips from yours truly, now go out there and get'em! Good luck and happy searching~

UCLA Queer Asian Pacific Islander Study

What does it mean to be part of the community?

Helping out groups like QAPI complete surveys on what it means to be Queer and Asian.

http://vimeo.com/65035598

click above to fill out survey

I completed it already. Now it's your turn.

How do you meet more gay people?

So, you are single and you wish to meet more people just like you. Alright, so, how do you filter out all the straight people and just meet other eligible H6 bachelors and bachelorettes?

From what I've gathered, here are a couple places you can start with:

• Local coffee shops
• Music stores and bookstores (i.e. Eslite bookstore 成品書店, Barnes & Noble, ...)
• Join a local volunteer group you are passionate about (i.e. Habitat for Humanity, Tzu Chi, Red Cross, Animal Shelters, ... )
• Online meet-up groups
• I've heard many people try these online activity groups like hiking, climbing, bike-riding, etc.. Seems to be quite successful in meeting more friends at least.

If you want to try online dating, here are a couple sites to start you out with:

In Taiwan I just heard about this dating site called 2girl.net:

• 2girl.net
• unfortunately it is all in Chinese, so if you can't read/write, sorry.
• you can create a profile and categorize yourself very specifically:
• T (for tomboy)
• P (for 'po' or wife in mandarin)
• Neither but lean towards T
• Neither but lean towards P
• Bisexual
• Male Lesbian  <-- what does that even mean??
• Unsure
• Does not wish to disclose
• Still in closet
• Androgenous
• The interesting bit is you get 'points' for browsing and using the features on the site. For instance, if you join a chat group, you get x points and the more you accumulate, you can 'graduate' from a elementary to middle school level, and so on until doctorate or professor titles.
• OKcupid.com
• This dating site is global, not just in Taiwan. I think this has picked up traction in the states but not so much overseas yet. I could be wrong. It has been awhile since I've visited.
• Cool thing is you can also search "gay guys only" or "gay girls only" and choose not to be seen by non-gay people.
• Downelink.com
• This was what the kids used in college and I know at least two couples who met on DL. I prefer OKC though.

If you know of other popular dating websites, please go ahead and share them with other readers of gaysiansays. I'm sure it will be much appreciated since I am by no means a dating site expert. 

What do you use for online dating? Any advice on how to meet other H6 people?

Red Equal Sign

What does the red equal sign mean?

Human Rights Campaign

Taiwan Pride 2012

October 27, 2012

In honor of Today's Taiwan Pride Parade, which is on it's 10th year anniversary, here is a video to share with all of you:

Love = Love

Let's keep striving for equality and freedom to love whoever we want. If we don't fight for it, who else will? 

This year the organizers have produced a video to support the theme of the parade “Love all the Same, the Same Kind of Love”. This year's theme is to support gay marriage. You can view it below:

http://www.twpride.org/

See you there!

Taiwan's FIRST Same-sex Buddhist Marriage

Read article here:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/13-photos-from-taiwans-first-same-sex-buddhist-ma

Awww, this article was just too cute I had to share it with you all first! Will update with thoughts and feedback later :)

<3

A Pierced Ear

In an incident when my grandma and I were watching something on television portraying a young asian male model with two pierced ears, and she sparks the question...


Grandma: ...which is the ear again with one piercing that signals you're gay? I forgot. It's either the left ear or the right ear. Which one is it?
Me: eh? HAHAHAHA oh grandma, that's so old school. people don't do that anymore.
Grandma: oh really? If a man only has one ear pierced doesn't it mean they're gay?
Me: That was a long time ago, like back in the 70s. Now it's trendy for young men to be straight and even get both ears pierced. It's just a style, to be fashionable. Doesn't mean they are gay.
Grandma: ....ohhh I see. Hmm, how times have changed.


This conversation definitely has shown how much progress and change has developed in this world. Our societies have definitely come a long way to allow social acceptance off all kinds of fashionable expression in our generations to come, and it's wonderful and exciting anticipating the ever changing growth and progression that will come in the future.

"What's the gay agenda"

Introducing LZ Granderson: The myth of the gay agenda

http://www.ted.com/talks/lz_granderson_the_myth_of_the_gay_agenda.html

From TedTalks...In a humorous talk with an urgent message, LZ Granderson points out the absurdity in the idea that there's a "gay lifestyle," much less a "gay agenda."


I really love how he tactfully brings the issues on the 'gay agenda' into the spotlight and uses prime examples from his personal life to show how silly it is to grant or take away rights from people who are just that...everyday people.

I'm trying to imagine all the people that have a problem with "THE GAY LIFESTYLE" and what it would take for them to realize their views on other people are just that..their own views. Understand that everybody is entitled to their own views and just because they believe something doesn't mean everybody else should too. I feel like people who have a problem with gay people and think they are less deserving of anything because of that one fact about them are just plain bossy and selfish.

It's okay for someone to get married or have more rights because they're straight, but the minute they announce they're gay then that means their rights are taken away? mmmm...that sounds like discrimination to me and the opposite of what "equality" and "freedom for all" stands for, just something that our country was built on, that's all. 

“This is the gay agenda: equality. Not special rights, but the rights that are already written by [our Founding Fathers].”

 In all honesty, the gay lifestyle doesn't exist. It's the same thing as a straight lifestyle. I mean, how would you define a "straight lifestyle"?? Grow up, get an education, get a job, find someone to grow old with, maybe raise some kids (maybe not), retire. 


It always baffles be to think that as a society we are more focused on deny people certain rights or privileges than focusing on the greater evil plaguing our society. You know, stuff like ignorance, poor parenting, irresponsible behavior, irrational and illogical thought processes. Here's an example from LZ:

“I would like to think that I have proven to be a capable father. But if I were to go to the state of Michigan today and try to adopt a young person who is in an orphanage, I would be disqualified for only one reason — because I'm gay.”

In this example, it is clear that the parents abandoning the young person is "OK'd" to relieve themselves of any further parental responsibility from their child, yet the people in society willing to pick up the slack for other's poor parenting judgement are NOT "OK'd" to do the responsible thing? 


 Hmm...

Heh I came across this image somewhere and it cracked me up. Let's just clear this up first that there is no right or wrong or someone to blame for anyone being gay. It's genetic. Already written in everybody's DNA. 


Hope you enjoyed LZ Granderson's talk and many others from Tedx.


Remember to "Be well, do good work and keep in touch" everyone.