FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community Fighting Homophobia Across Generations:
Taking ‘FEAR’ out of Youth Lives!
(Toronto, ON - May 15th, 2006)
May 17 is the National Day Against Homophobia. It is a day to
remind us that the issue is still a challenge for the Canadian
society as a whole, and to Asian-Canadian communities. ACAS (Asian
Community AIDS Services), a community-based organization, works
alongside with parents, Queer youth, and people from Asian communities
in a project called “GenerAsian Understanding”, to
assist Queer youth and their families, providing intergenerational
support through a mentoring program and workshops. In the course
of our work with Queer Asian youth, ACAS witnessed numerous heartbreaking
stories of youth who had to live in ‘fear’ with their
own families, or being rejected by those who proclaim to love
them because they are different from ‘others’.
Ryan, 17, a Queer Asian youth, and a high school
student, remembered an incident at his home. “I was watching
movies and playing video game at the same time. Then this scene
with a bunch of young girls in their bikinis came on and my mother
walked right into the room. I froze! For a moment, I didn't know
if I should show I like the scene or not. If I showed I didn't
like it, my mother would probably find out that I am gay. I couldn't
make up my mind, so I just switched back to my video game. Then,
my mother actually asked me if I was gay! I denied it, and then
she told me all the bad things about being gay.” Ryan’s
fear about his mom’s negative attitude towards gay people
and him came true. FEAR can be so helpless!
Seven years ago, Grace learned her daughter is
a lesbian. After the initial shock, disappointment and sadness,
she vowed to stand beside her daughter no matter what. She started
to learn more about her daughter's life, her friends, and the
community. She started to go to workshops, learned from and share
her experience with others. In the end, she discovered that “unconditional
love” help her to accept and embrace her daughter’s
sexual identity. From that moment, her relation with her daughter
is better than ever. LOVE can be so powerful!
Until we can take the FEAR out of Queer youth
lives and celebrate them for who they are, there is still so much
to be done. By doing our own small part, or join community groups
in the work against Homophobia, we can make a difference to youth
lives and our communities.
For more information about how to deal with Homophobia
or GenerAsian Understanding program, visit our web site www.acas.org/GAU,
or contact Chi-Ching Hui at 416-963-4300 ext. 33. The next workshop
for Queer Asian youth will be held on May 18th, 2006 from 5:30
P.M. at our office, 33 Isabella Street, suite 107, Toronto.
-30-
About ACAS:
Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) is a charitable, non-profit,
community-based organization providing HIV/AIDS education and
support services to the East and South East Asian communities
in Toronto.
