Queer and Transgender
Asian & Pacific Islander Organizations
Join us for API Pride 2025!
We've got big plans ahead! Mark your calendars and join us for QTAPI Week (May 27 - June 5, 2025) and the rest of WorldPride 2025
APIQS | Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society
Mission Statement: Provide educational, social, and cultural activities for queer female-identified, gender-nonconforming, and transgender people of API descent in the DC metropolitan area
Member Compositions: Queer female-identified, gender-nonconforming, and transgender people of API descent in the DC metropolitan area
AQUA DC | Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action
Mission Statement: Build community for queer and trans API residents in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, to uplift voices and advocate for social justice issues through an LGBTQ+ and API lens. AQUA works closely with other API and queer-identified organizations through advocacy, coalition building, education, networking, outreach, and support events. AQUA strives in its mission to intentionally incorporate the following values through our collective actions as an organization to center our membership: Education, Equity & Inclusivity, Visibility, and Well-being. We aim to support our mission by providing opportunities for political advocacy, coalition building, cultural exploration, and personal development.
Member Compositions: Asian and Pacific Islander ace-, bi-, homo-, pan-romantic/sexual and other expansive orientations and the gender non-conforming, non-binary, trans, and other gender expansive identities.
Khush DC | South Asian LGBTQ Community
Mission Statement: We are a social, support and political group that provides a safe and supportive environment, promotes awareness and acceptance, and fosters positive cultural, sexual and gender identity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and additional gender or sexual minority (LGBTQIA+) South Asians/South Asian diaspora in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (“the DMV area”).
Member Compositions: KhushDC serves South Asian LGBTQIA+ people in the DMV area. We choose not to define membership because our programs serve anyone who self-identifies as LGBTQIA+ and as South Asian or part of the diaspora. We represent a broad array of nationalities including those of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and those who have roots from these countries.
KQT-DC | Korean Queer and Transgender
Mission Statement: Composed of LGBTQ+ individuals and parents of Korean descent and allies in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC area, committed to promoting a welcoming space for fellowship and support, as well as advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in our communities.
Member Compositions: Our members are composed of Korean American LGBTQ+ individuals (KQTs), parents of KQTs, and allies.
CEP | Caribbean Equality Project
Mission Statement: Community-based organization that empowers, advocates for, and represents Afro and Indo-Caribbean, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, and queer Caribbean immigrants. Through public education, community organizing, civic engagement, storytelling, and cultural and social programming, the organization's work focuses on advocacy for LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, gender equity, racial justice, immigration, and mental health services, and ending hate violence in the Caribbean diaspora.
Member Compositions: Afro and Indo-Caribbean, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, and queer Caribbean individuals and allies