Representation matters. The ability of any community to affect change, preserve liberties, and create opportunities depends on our ability to secure representation in government. For most of history, the LGBTQ AAPI community has had no representation, and as a result, no direct voice. But in the last decade, there has been a rise in activism and organization, and for the first time in history, representation. The importance of this movement has only been amplified by the sharp rise in anti-Asian violence in the United States. Only by having a seat at the table, can the LGBTQ AAPI community guarantee that the protection of our community becomes a priority, not an afterthought. As members of both the LGBTQ and AAPI community, we are the one group that is most vulnerable to, and most familiar, with violent attacks. The purpose of this panel is to open a conversation with some of the handful of LGBTQ AAPI elected officials who have been elected to statewide office. The panel aims to have them share their struggles and triumphs, and discuss how to keep the momentum going, go over how to harvest the rising enthusiasm and energy, and to build a movement out of a moment, to put more LGBTQ AAPI people into elected office.

Panelists

• Sam Park, Georgia House of Representatives
• Marvin Lim, Georgia House of Representatives
• Evan Low, California State Assembly

• Sean Young, ACLU of Georgia

• Jacob Chen, LGBTQ Network