The South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association of New York City (SALGA) serves to promote awareness, tolerance, acceptance, empowerment and safe spaces for sexual minorities and people of all gender identities, who trace their heritage to South Asia or who identify as South Asian. Our mission is to enable community members to establish cultural visibility and take a stand against oppression and discrimination in all its forms. We pledge to encourage leadership development, provide multi-generational support, work towards immigration advocacy, address health issues such as HIV / AIDS, and foster political involvement in the interest of creating a more tolerant society.

SALGA-NYC!

Posted: August 16th, 2011 | Author: Jimmy | Filed under: Blog, Events, News |

March with SALGA in New York City’s India Day Parade - August 21 at Noon!

This Time, They INVITED Us to March!

Hello Community! Hope you’re doing well. You know how we usually have to itch, scratch, and claw to get into the India Day Parade? (And how sometimes, even that doesn’t work?) Like last year, when FIA (the organizers) were scared at the last minute into allowing our fabulousness to march at the ONLY when major media outlets and the likes of Speaker Christine Quinn, Councilman Dromm, and other politicos went to bat HARD for us? (Thanks girlfriends! heyyy!)

WELL, NOT THIS YEAR!

Here’s a summary of how it went down THIS YEAR:

***

FIA: Hello, is this SALGA?

SALGA: Why yes, this is.

FIA: This is FIA. Have you submitted your application to march in India Day 2011 yet?

SALGA: *Stunned* *Shocked* *Pinching Itself* *ZOMG* Um, not yet.

FIA: Well you should!

***

And so we did! And we are marching! And they are letting us march! And all is good! Hooray!

So please do join us. Let’s show South Asians that, well, South Asian queer people exist. And that just like non-queer people, most of us are good people. So if you self-identify as a not-good person, don’t come! This is a great opportunity for us to increase our visibility among an audience that hasn’t had much exposure to the LGBT community!

And we like PINK. So wear PINK. And also, feel free to celebrate the amazing diversity of South Asia (and not just India) in ANY way you want! Wear a kurta! Wear jeans! Don’t wear a kurta! Come as a Bollywood hero! Come dressed as something not stereotypical like any of that! YES!

Day: Sunday, August 21

Time: Noon - 2:30 PM

Location: Parade starts somewhere around Madison Ave and 40th Street and Ends at 27th Street and Madison Ave. Please check the Facebook group for final instructions on where exactly to meet, or call Shawn Jain the day of at 415.846.3707 for directions on where to meet.

What to Bring: Wear PINK! And bring signs if you’d like. We’ll also have pink bandanas to hand out. And we’ll have brunch somewhere after. Yes!

One Comment on “Sunday 8/21 India Day Parade w/ SALGA-NYC!”

1 115. An Immigrant’s Reflections on Independence Day « Tell Me Another said at 7:09 pm on August 21st, 2011:
[...] film stars, U.S. politicians, and exuberant youth marching in it, as well as for members of the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA), who were denied the right to participate for many years and held placards on the [...]