Joël Barraquiel Tan delivered the festival’s keynote. To open the celebration, Chinese lion dancers from Master David Leong’s Northwest Kung Fu Association paraded through the spectators and chased away bad spirits.ĭeputy Mayor Monisha Harrell with the Seattle LGBTQ Commission presented the City proclamation of Pride ASIA Day. The pandemic highlighted the challenges facing AAPI LGBTQ communities, as well as their strength, she said. Catching the tail end of May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the celebration also kicked off Pride Month in June.įor Manila, the excitement of seeing people in person again was a focus of Pride ASIA Fest this year. Pride ASIA Fest went virtual for the past two years of the pandemic, but returned to Hing Hay Park just in time for its 10-year anniversary. Its mission is “to celebrate, empower and nurture the multi-cultural diversity of the LGBTQ communities through the Asian Pacific Islander lens.”
Pride ASIA was co-founded in 2012 by drag performer and social activist Aleksa Manila.
Pride ASIA Fest returned to Hing Hay Park on May 29, bringing lip-syncing drag performances, dancing, and heartfelt speeches to the spectators.
