From InformAsian, GAPSN Monthly Newsletter, May 2000

David Hong is a second generation Chinese American, born and raised in the Midwest. He has been active with GAPSN from the very beginning when the group was formerly known as GARP and is a GAPSN Co-Founding member and continues to be active in the gay API community on his own. David has held numerous Board Positions with GARP/GAPSN serving as Interim Co-Chair, Publications Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Asian Pacific Organizations Liaison, and has actively served on several committees when not chairing a committee. He was the recipient of the 1991 GAPSN Man of the Year and the 1993 Andrew Alabab Patron Award. He chaired GAPSN's 1993 North American Asian/Pacific Islander Conference (NAPPI) which was held in Los Angeles. He has provided input to numerous API and API Friends Groups seeking valuable input on local and national conference organizational structures and has served as a panelist and workshop facilitator. He is also a current or former member of several Gay API groups from across the country and maintains a self-interest visibility in personal networking.

David was also involved with the Asian/Pacific Lesbians & Gays (A/PLG), now known as Asian/Pacific Gays & Friends (A/PGF). He formerly served as a Delegate-At-Large, Publications Coordinator, "1991 FANTASIA" Production Manager, 1997 International Friendship Weekend (IFW) Annual Meeting, and continues to assist the group when called upon.

Originally trained in the area of fine arts, he is a Director of a production group that produces multi-media, communications, print media, film/digital photography, videography, graphic arts, computer graphics, and audiovisual production. With a background in stage production, he has directed or assisted Gay API and API Friends groups from across the country with their Mr. & Ms. Beauty Pageants, Variety and Talent Shows, and API Female Illusion Performance Arts Programs.

For the past few years, David has taken a leave of absence from GAPSN and currently spends his time with his significant other "Nid" of 12 years and their daughters "Izzy & Chris" in their comfortable home entertaining their network of close friends.

Interview with David Hong

Q: How were you introduced to the gay scene here in L.A.?

A: I moved to L.A. in May of 1981. My first notion was of course to identify the activities here in Los Angeles. From reading the Frontiers, I found out that the upcoming Christopher Street West gay pride events [in June] were looking for volunteers. So I called. I met some key people there who assigned me to running the placards for the groups. They had to stand on Cresent Heights [Avenue, where the parade route began] to get themselves in an order according to a numbering system. So it was my task to monitor the groups, get them ready and to start them off.

So interestingly enough, Asian/Pacific Lesbians and Gays was a contingent in the parade. When their turn came, some of them saw me and asked me, "Come and march with us." I said I couldn't. So they just talked to me about who they were, what they did, etc. They also told me about the upcoming Fourth of July picnic that they had in Griffith Park every year. So I went to the picnic and met more A/PLG people there. It interested me because it was my first exposure to other gay A/PIs.

Q: How did you become involved with GARP [predecessor to GAPSN]?

A: In December of 1984, I joined GARP. I was still part of A/PLG. I drifted in and out of GARP until 1986 when I really got involved. I felt my evolution was based on what my needs were. At that time, I was interested in meeting other A/PIs and in looking for a life partner. A/PLG had a lot of non-Asians in it. So GARP fulfilled a void that A/PLG couldn't, although A/PLG met my expectations in terms of building my organizational skills.

With the non-Asian members in A/PLG, I always let them know that I was interested in other Asians, and not with non-Asians. Some of them called me a lesbian, incestuous, etc. But then I responded, "Well, how come when I was at Studio One, I'd see whites with other whites? What do you call that?" I put them on the spot and they had no response. The non-Asians were upset about the all-Asian rap in A/PLG, too. I kept saying to myself, "What is wrong with them? We need our own safe space." And that's what GARP was all about. Safe space.

Q: Was the idea of a gay-Asian-only organization a strange concept?

A: To the non-Asians at that time, yes, because they were not accustomed to it. That never existed around them. But the all-Asian concept was not new at all, because in other cities, like Boston and Toronto, it's always been all-Asian. If you even go beyond that, like Japan and Hong Kong, it's all Asian. Those people were not exposed to that environment. GARP became a learning process for them.

In GARP, I know of a couple scenarios where we had a [white] support member who was profusely upset that we were not allowing non-Asians into the rap. We told him that supporters were welcomed to have their own rap. However, the Asians weren't going to organize it for the non-Asians. They had to do it themselves, but there was no effort from them to do it. They were there just to get the newsletters, provide support and things like that. But I've talked to this person [two years ago], the same person who for over the years always had a problem with GAPSN. His response to me then was that he now fully understood why we needed an Asian-only rap.

Q: So the consciousness is changing in the larger community. What is your vision for the gay Asian movement?

A: My outlook is I want to see the gay A/PI groups working together with the A/PI and Friends groups, not only in L.A., but in the state, in North America, to all of Asian eventually. Coming together to a point where we all know who each other is and what each other is doing. In L.A., there's been at least a history of these groups working together successfully. In other cities, there are some divisions between the A/PI groups and the A/PI and Friends groups. And then there are some cities that have one but not the other. But if you combine it worldwide, it's like there're over 75 groups in total. I like to see an international network, eventually.