User:Ellentanouye/sandbox

Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women Transgender Community (APIQWTC) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that provides opportunities for Asian & Pacific Islander queer women and transgender people to socialize, network, build community, engage in inter-generational organizing, and increase community visibility.

APIQWTC was formed 25 years ago, when a small group of queer and transgender Asian women created the API Lunar New Year Banquet. In 1999, APIQWTC was officially founded by [Jang|Crystal Jang], Koko Lin, and Trinity Ordona, as a new hub for established and new community groups to exchange news and coordinate projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over time, it evolved from a network to a community organization.

In 2012, the co-founders reported that APIQWTC provides the space for an estimated 1,000 queer women and transgender individuals of Asian descent to gather and celebrate who they are. Today, APIQWTC is a space for "many queer women and transgender Asians [who] live in the closet in fear of losing their family and community."

APIQWTC hosts the following events and activities annually: Lunar New Year Banquet ; Summer Barbeque; Phoenix Award ; Community Artist award; Trips; Support for community LGBT organizations; Monthly Meet-ups. Every year, APIQWTC provides two scholarship to deserving API LGBT students pursuing higher education. During the yearly banquet, an API LGBT organization is designated to receive a percentage of the annual banquet receipts to further its mission.