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?

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.

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

"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.

I came out to my 外公 grandfather

I know. I came out to my grandfather.
Let's just let that thought marinate for a little bit longer...

Specifically, I came out to my adorable grandpa on my most recent trip to Taiwan. He's hard of hearing, so it took some effort and patience and eventually showing him a picture of my ex for him to understand that I was talking about a past relationship with another girl, not a dude. 

Honestly, I've thought about coming out to him for awhile, but I never had the guts to do it. Parents were easier in the sense that they are younger and hopefully more open-minded to the craziness going on in our generation (and generations to come for that matter). However, I always hesitated with the elder generation because of their health and the shock from knowing that one of their grand-children... is gay. First off, I'm impressed if any older person even knows what the word "gay" means! Haha. Old people can be so silly and so cute.


So imagine yourself going out to the park or the local grocery store everyday with your grandpa because, you know, they have nothing better to do and need the exercise ... and on one of these very relaxing and peaceful walks your grandpa can see that something is upsetting you. Then you are tasked with the dilemma of making something stupid up or actually telling him what the REAL thing that's bothering you is. Yea...that's when I made the decision. Didn't want to hide it from him anymore and just wanted to laugh it off like every other topic we discuss.  

Grandpa: So tell me really what is making you sad and depressed...
Me: .... mmmm.... well I was talking with Brother last night about all his prospective crushes, and it made me feel sad because I started thinking about my own past relationship *SIGH*
Grandpa: ...ah...hehe... well why do you feel sad? If it's just a matter of "losing the love" just go back to your ex and "rekindle the flame" hehehe
Me: ... 0_o'' well...I don't think that will work. It's not that simple. There's a lot of other reasons too why we are not together anymore *contemplating if I should tell him it's a girl and not a guy*
Grandpa: ...what did you say? huh? ... eh feelings. Young people these days are all about feelings and love. You can always create love and the feelings will come naturally. Relationships take effort and lots of work.
Me: ...(thinks about the high divorce rate in America) ... hmm, maybe all those people just stopped trying and gave up. Poor children with multiple parents and step-parents due to divorce.
... eh, here grandpa, this is a picture of my EX... *shows picture* 
Grandpa: ...eh? ahh..that's a girl. . . . HEHE, so you've been talking about a girl this whole time? hehe, I thought it was a boy! hehehehehe
Me: 0_0'' 
       *waiting for more reaction*
.......???!!!!
Grandpa: eh, I don't know about these things. It's a fashionable thing for young people to be "gay" these days. Is your brother "gay" too? hehehe
Me: >_~'' PHEWF...*relieved* hahaha, no my brother is not gay. He's just...hahaha. No grandpa, he's not. Just me.
Me: ^_^" ......  :]

That was pretty much our conversation. I didn't have to worry about him telling my grandmother because well, my aunt did that for me too. I have yet to broach the topic with her, but that is for another day, or another year, when some circumstance or situation would prompt me to open that door and start that conversation. 


As a filial grandkid, you don't want to give your grandparents a heart attack or some horrible shock that will disrupt their life. They're old. They need to take it easy and just enjoy their senior lives. There is a Chinese saying that goes like this:

 老小老小　"Old little Old little" 

It means Old People are like Little Kids. Sometimes they just want attention, they need extra care, they need help sometimes. Little Kids are the same way - they need attention, extra care and sometimes a little help. 


When and IF you decide to come out to your grandparents, just be respectful of everybody's circumstances. Our grandparents grew up in an era of wartime, starvation and lots of suffering. They didn't have the opportunity to learn or be exposed to any gay ... well gay anything actually (at least not mine). Therefore, be kind and mindful of the elders in our society and give'em a break if they don't accept or have a hard time understanding what an Asian Queer person is. Took us time to collect and develop the courage to tell them. It'll take them some time to understand what it will be like to have a gaysian grandkid too.

Parents. Love.

I just really wanted to share this article with you all. This is really touching, and I hope all our parents will be able to get to this stage at some point in their lives:

Parents of LGBT children in Taiwan launch official group

click above

Please check it out if you're interested in coming out, or have come out to your parents already and would like to open up a discussion with them <3

How I Came Out to my Mother, Part 1

Cause and Effect.


Really, that's how it came about. There was a situation, a cause, that prompted the effect of me coming out to my mother. So here's how it happened.


It was really my aunt.


Haha, that's cheating right? I didn't really come out to my mother myself? Not quite. You see, now that I've experienced it, I think this is a great way to come out to your parents. Come out to one of their close siblings first. For me, fortunately, I was already really close to my aunt, who is also close to my mom (well, they're sisters). I didn't know this at the time, but right after I came out to my Aunt, she told my Mother.


In a nutshell:


-Rented a lesbian movie with aunt/uncle
-afterwards, came out to Aunt online...because I was too afraid to tell her in person
-Aunt told Mother
-Mother suspects I am gay for a couple months..and questions if I am going to a gay bar every time I go out
-breakup with 1st gf prompted coming out (as bi at the time)


Result:
-NO Motherly comfort, just an intense Q&A session
-1 week later, I came out to my dad only because I felt it was unfair to tell one parent and not the other.


The nitty gritty details:


It was my 3rd year in college, and I don't really remember why I had picked a gay themed movie to watch while my relatives and I were at Blockbuster on a Friday night. I was back home for the weekend visiting and when we couldn't find any movies to rent, I picked up this Gay themed one with an Asian girl on the cover, and some other movies. We ended up watching the one I picked. 


It was a horrible movie. Terrible actually. First off, it was only an hour long, and second, it must have been a low budget poorly written production because there was hardly any story and I had never heard of it before,...I was just curious. So, after I made my relatives watch this terrible gay movie, they gave me the opportunity to open up a discussion. My aunt asked me,

"So..............is there something you want to tell us?" 

Me: 0_0          ........*GULP*  

um.....noooo *awkward pause* ok, i'm gonna go to my room now.

After I get back to my apartment at school, my Aunt IMs me and directly asks if I like girls. What can I say...This was the first time I came out to anyone in my family.

Scary, but not impossible.

As I started to tell my Aunt my deepest and darkest secret I've kept my whole life...I couldn't help the tears that started streaming down my cheeks. I remember telling her I didn't want to tell anyone because I was ashamed of how I really felt and who I really was. Growing up, I was always the obedient daughter and never wanted to disappoint my parents or my family. At the time, I felt like being gay was one of the greatest disappointments I could be to my parents and my biggest fear was becoming just that. A disappointment. 


Not only was I afraid of being a disappointment, I was afraid they wouldn't love me anymore, or love me less, or blame themselves or ...or any other undesirable scenario a child could imagine if their parents found out they were gay. Imagine if you had a child, and one day they came to you and told you they are attracted to people of their same gender. How would you feel?
...
And then, how would you react?


Exactly. If your parents were only exposed to a culture and society that embraced ignorance and hypocrisy, then you probably would NEVER want to come out to them. You can imagine how I felt when my Aunt broached the topic and cracked open the closet door for me.
...


I remember saying something like, "do you think I'm a monster?" and "For as long as I can remember I was like this...I didn't choose to be gay"


I couldn't have wished for a better reaction. My Aunt said I should have come out to her sooner, and that I should have known better. She's such an open-minded person that I could have told her sooner instead of having lived in fear and walked a lonely road through adolescence. I felt so relieved and so liberated and grateful that she accepted me for who I am. I was overwhelmed.


I can't describe in words how I felt that day when I finally told someone in my family how I truly felt inside. No more questions or comments about me finding a boyfriend or any other hypothetical marriage scenarios of me with a future "husband." I felt accepted. I was still loved in exactly the same manner as a gay niece vs. a straight niece. I'm really lucky to have someone in the family that is so open-minded and accepting. 

I can finally share my true feelings without having to hide or lie about who I am with someone in the family.

IM convo ...about the future...and having kids

In an IM conversation to a friend of mine about my thought process towards education for my future kids:

Me: I like my parents around...but probably not all the time

...

Finland idea..came from when my parents went to Helsinki for their anniversary cruise

and then i look up that their economy and education system ain't bad at all

in fact..much better than the states...

seems like a great place to grow up and raise a family

....Who doesnt want the best education for their kids right?

i dont wanna be pregnant...so i dont really have to worry about the childbirth process..unless my partner has complications if she gets pregnant...

so..i have to keep that option open.

I'm 27.

not that young anymore if i want to have a healthy baby

and who knows if my partner will one day be older or younger..but if they're older..then more possibility they will have a difficult childbirth right?

....thinking too much

i just gotta make money

26 Amazing Facts About Finland's Unorthodox Education System

Me: thanks for reading

i have too many dreams

i want to do everything

but everything requires lots of money..so I have to think smart on how to make my portfolio grow
---
*sigh* 
story of everybody's life right? Money is what makes the world go 'round. It's easier to make money with money. More money = more power... etc. etc.


So then it begs the question: What would you do if it was YOU that had an abundance of wealth?


EDIT: After some further research, I'd pick Singapore as a potential city/country for my future kids. It's equally awesome and may have an even better education system than Finland...