AQUA DC hosts community building and advocacy events to bring together gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender Asian and Pacific Islander (API) folks to meet new friends and build community through visibility, support, social justice, and action.
We have teamed up with other community organizations to provide a host of other educational workshops and panels on topics such as Voting Rights and Undocumented Immirgrants’ Rights, the History of API Advocacy in the DMV, Trans 101 for the LGBT-community, and political rallies and marches like the 2020 March on Washington “Get Your Knees Of Our Necks” and the ATL to DC March of Solidarity with the Victims of the 3/16/21 Atlanta Shootings.
For the latest events, visit our events page on Facebook.
If have an idea for a program or event idea that you think would be great for AQUA to put on or you are part of another organization looking to partner with AQUA DC on an event already in the works, consider letting us at AQUA know!
Fill out the Google Form here to submit the proposal so we can review and look at it! (tinyurl.com/AQUADCProgramming)
Recurring:
API Queer Support Group:
AQUA DC hosts a support and discussion group every month with APIQS (Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society DC) to provide a safe space for the Asian and Pacific Islander Queer Community in the DMV area! These meeting occur every first Thursday of the month beginning at 7:00 PM at the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community when in person, but are currently held online via Zoom. If you’re interested in joining a session, please message us so we can give you the link and code!
API QT Time – a Monthly Social Series:
Join fellow AQUA DC members for our monthly social! We like to use this time to meet up with old friends and to make new ones with other members of the Queer and Trans API community in the DMV area.
We aim to have this series in a multitude of locations and with varying activities each time! So one month may be a Happy Hour, another month may be Mini-Golf, or another month may be a Museum Trip! It all depends on membership suggestions and popularity among the community~
Happy Trails – a Hiking Series:
Join fellow AQUA DC members on monthly hikes around DC, Maryland, and Virginia! Previous trips have been at Great Falls, the Billy Goat Trail, and Shenandoah National Park, Rock Creek Park, and Lake Needwood!
Gayme, Set, Social! – a Monthly Tennis Social
Beginner tennis players to the talented pros, grab your rackets and join us at a variety of tennis courts in the DMV area! Meet fellow Queer API folks for some friendly competition. Bring your friends and show us what you’ve got!
AQUA DC can provide the balls and will have a couple rackets for loan!
Kickball:
AQUA DC members have played kickball in past seasons through the non-profit D.C. Stonewall Kickball. Many of us are on the DTF (Down To Field) team. If you’re feeling awesome, you can come support your fellow AQUA-rians on Sundays. For more information on joining, send us an email if you’re interested in learning more!
Dragon Boat Racing:
In spring of 2019, AQUA DC members re-formed Out2Paddle, a recently dormant LGBT API dragonboat team, with the support of the DC Dragon Boat Club. Sponsored and supported by the D.C. government’s MOAPIA (Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs), we paddled in the 250m and 500m races in May. We came away with a silver medal in the 250m A-major division, a bronze in the 500m A-major division, and the Government Open trophy!
When conditions are safe, we hope to return to the competition. If you are interested, please let us know!
AQUA DC 