Participant Pada Lo (right) and Shades of Yellow Board Chair Pheng Thao (left) posing for the camera at the opening dinner July 9, 2010 at Pagoda Dinkytown.

MINNEAPOLIS (July 9, 2010) – The first ever National Queer Southeast Asian Conference took place at the Radisson University Hotel in Minneapolis last weekend. The conference was hosted by Shades of Yellow, the Twin Cities Hmong Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) organization, and provided a space for Southeast Asians and allies from around the country to discuss issues that are important to the Queer Southeast Asian communities.

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Southeast Asian Queer Conference will be held at the University of Minnesota from July 9-11, 2010. An agenda will be posted up on www.shadesofyellow.org with times and locations as soon as it completed.

Participants will strategize, learn, and grow with Queer Southeast Asians and allies as we mobilize around issues effecting our community.

The Southeast Asian Queer Conference has a mission to build a national network of LGBTQ Southeast Asians that are united to collect and share data and information, build community, identity and national advocacy issues.

Participating groups include: Shades of Yellow (Twin Cities), Southeast Asian Queers United for Empowerment and Leadership (Providence, RI), Khmer in Action (Seattle), Freedom, Inc. (Madison, WI), National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (Washington, DC).

For more information contact Kevin Xiong, executive director, Shades of Yellow, 379 University Ave. W #213, St. Paul, MN  55103. Call 651-309-0037 or email kevin.xiong@shadesofyellow.org. Or contact Ming Lee, ming.lee@shadesofyellow.org or call 651-373-8565.

Shades of Yellow, a non-profit organization located in St Paul, MN that serves the Hmong LGBTQ community for Social Justice, will showcase its talent from the community and allies at the Twin Cities Pride Festival, June 26-27, 2010 at Loring Park, 1382 Willow Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

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Lt Dan Choi, a Korean-American soldier who chained himself to the gates of the White House to protest the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which forbids gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

By AARON GLANTZ

New American Media

(April 9, 2010) – In his State of the Union address to Congress, President Barack Obama promised to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which forbids gays and lesbians from serving openly in the Armed Forces. Three months later, efforts to repeal the policy continue to languish in Congress.

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OAKDALE, Minn. (Jan. 23, 2010) – Shades of Yellow held its 6th annual SOY New Year Celebration at the Prom Center, drawing members, family and supporters with a purpose to show that the organization and its mission are no longer a fringe element but an important and contributing part of the community.

Mica “Linda” Her was named Miss Soy 2010. She was raised in the Twin Cities but moved to San Francisco after college in 2003, and returned in 2008, saying that even though it was difficult to be a Hmong lesbian in Minnesota – it was more difficult to be away from her family and community.

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At left, SOY Executive Director Kevin Xiong, left, and Ming Lee, program and outreach coordinator, talk about the Shaman Documentary they made together with Linda Her.

By TOM LAVENTURE

Staff Writer

ST. PAUL (December 10, 2009) – Shades Of Yellow, the first Hmong organization for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) held its first fundraiser last week at Wilder Foundation, drawing more than a hundred supporters.

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