We envision a powerful queer and transgender Asian and Pacific-islander (QTAPI) community that is seen, heard and celebrated. Our mission is to unite our families and allies to build a community through advocacy, inclusion and love.
Established in 1988 after months of discussion and soul searching from several members of the Asian Gay Men's Support Group at Berkeley's Pacific Center, GAPA was formed fundamentally to organize, integrate and nurture a growing gay & bisexual Asian and Pacific Islander (API) identity and to foster positive role models within our communities. Three decades on we continue forward as a vanguard for the queer and transgender API community in the Bay Area. We helped build institutions like the SF Community Health Center, formerly API Wellness Center, and GAPA Runway, one of the longest-running SF pageants.
There have been countless shows, concerts, conferences, political engagements, rallies, press releases, banquets, and partnerships. We directly engage in social, cultural, and political advocacy to advance and protect our community’s interests and well-being. As an all-volunteer, grassroots organization, we have been dedicated to providing a safe space to inspire individuals to be their best selves, for others to celebrate our diversity, and for all of us to continue the fight for equality.
In 2021, with a unanimous vote from the board and overwhelming support from the membership, the organization renamed itself to the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance to commit ourselves to greater inclusion of the full spectrum of the GLBTQ+ community.
GAPA is a 501(c)(4) non profit social welfare organization. Our new affiliate, GAPA Fund, is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses funding cultural activities and the arts.
