Feb 21, 2017 by -

Ad campaign aims to help LGBTQ Asian Americans come out to their families

CHICAGO — “I struggled a lot, really distanced myself, did a lot of self harm, and was suicidal as well. It was more of an internal struggle. I really just started talking to my parents about my sexual identity only this year, and I’ve known since I was very little.”

This is the story of Kristina Tendilla, a member of the LGBTQ community.

In Chicago, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, or NQAPIA, launched its family acceptance multilingual campaign last week, which that includes TV ads entitled “Family is Still Family”.

 

The commercial ads — featuring real people, not actors — were designed to bridge the cultural divide that prevents Asian and Pacific Islander American children from coming out to their parents.

“Not only are we struggling with how we’re coming out and trying to draw support from our families or communities, but also some of the cultural struggles within that,” says Tendilla. “Often that could mean some cultural norms that may sometimes they feel that they clash, or religious values.”

According to a Gallup survey, an estimated 10 million adults now identify as LGBT in the US, which is approximately 1.75 million more compared with 2012.

This means that 4 percent of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Asian Americans have the highest increase in LGBT identification — from 3.5 to 4.9% since 2012.

 

With this growing LGBT population, the NQAPIA group believes there is no better time to support each other, than now.

 

“In this time of hate and division, we need Filipinos to come together,” says Glenn Magpantay, Executive Director of NQAPIA. “We need Filipinos who have LGBTQ children to share the love and support that they have.”

The ads are scheduled to run 113 times on Crossings TV Chicago, until February 28, with Tagalog, Chinese, and Hindi subtitles. To watch the ads online, visit the campaign’s YouTube channel here.

“I am hoping that this initiative would help other families feel more comfortable in addressing their own family as human beings,” says member Ryan Viloria.

The Chicago-based campaign has already reached San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York.

NQAPIA’s goal is to expand to the growing Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the Midwest, and to reach out to the parents of the LGBTQ children.

“We honor them, we love them, but we also want them to know that we are who we are,” says Magpantay. “We are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender Filipinos.”

For more information, please visit nqapia.org.

by Don Tagala - Feb 21, 2017

by Don Tagala - Feb 22, 2017
2 Comments on this post.

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  • Mario
    21 February 2017 at 6:48 pm - Reply

    Don’t waste your time, plan for your future, in 2 mos a conservative majority(5-4) Supreme Court for the next 30 yrs.Your dream having a 3rd bathroom will be over. During 4 yrs Trump term, 2-3 more SC will retire, possibly, next year we have (6-3) SCourt. All LGBT rights, liberal ideas can be reverse back by the SCourt. During 4yrsTrumps terms over 100 lower court Judges will retire, Trump will replace them with conservative Judges… Game is over… All smart millennials will follow conservative ideas including our system of education…, America will stay conservative for the next 50-75 years.’It was GODS will that elected Trump to save America……..

    • Santiago Del Mundo
      22 February 2017 at 9:19 am - Reply

      Mario, this is your best posting so far…good job!!!

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